A Knight's Slave
by The Chuckinator
Summary: When Sonic is sent back in time to Camelot, he never expected to become a slave, thus allowing his life to turn upside down. However, when the king is attacked, Sonic must go on a quest with his new master, Lancelot, to save him. But Sonic doesn't realize how this journey will change him. A collab with Fangs of Lightning.
1. The Doctor Attacks

A Knight's Slave  


by Fangs of Lightning and The Chuckinator

Chapter 1: The Doctor Attacks

The day was perfect for running, and I, Sonic the Hedgehog, had been doing just that. It had been another battle with Doctor Eggman; I had foiled yet another of the evil scientist's plots. Tails sat on the couch, looking up when I came in.

"How was your walk?" He asked.

I shrugged. "It was okay. I ran into Eggman and fought him again. He's really stepped up his game. While we were fighting, he bragged about trying to create some sort of portal that would get rid of me for good."

Tails scoffed and shook his head. "It's Eggman; he always wants to get rid of you."

"I know, and I always try and stop him. It's like my job or something."

"Except you don't get paid for doing it."

I turned to Tails with a smirk, and nodded. We sat down and turned on the TV. A documentary about Camelot, and King Arthur, was on. "I've always liked the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. It would be pretty cool to live in that time."

Tails nodded. "I've been making a time machine, but it won't be finished for another few weeks."

"Really?" I asked, looking at him. "That's pretty awesome."

The fox chuckled and we continued to watch the show. It got more interesting by the minute. Tails smiled at me and yawned. After the show was over, the fox was cuddling next to me, his head on my shoulder. I smiled and stood up, leaning Tails' head on a pillow.

"Good night, buddy," I said, and walked upstairs to my own room.

I yawned and got into bed, then fell asleep, dreaming that I was King Arthur, and my knights were on a valiant quest to find the Holy Grail. Before long, I had fallen into a long, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next day, I walked downstairs and saw Tails eating breakfast. Tails looked at me and smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," I said. "I had a dream that I was King Arthur."

Tails chuckled; that was interesting. "So," the fox said. "What was the dream about, other than you being the king?"

"Not much. I was commanding my knights, and went on a quest to find the Holy Grail."

"That's cool."

I smiled and ate also, then stretched and went for my morning run. As I did, I thought about what Eggman was up to. Hopefully the scientist wasn't causing any trouble. If he was, it was up to me to stop him.

Eggman was doing something, as a matter of fact. He was building a laser, and grinned. This newest invention would get rid of Sonic for good.

"At last, it's complete," he said with a sneer. He turned to Metal Sonic. "I need you to go and capture Sonic, then bring him to me."

"Yes, Master," Metal Sonic nodded, and flew off.

The robot flew into the city and looked around, then noticed me running. It chuckled and landed in front of me, and I skidded to a stop.

"Metal," I said, crossing my arms and tapping my right foot impatiently. "Get out of my way."

"Doctor Eggman wishes for me to capture you," Metal Sonic said.

"Like that's going to happen."

We stared at each other for a moment, and then lunged at one another. I punched the robot, who glared at me and fired lasers from its optics. I got out of the way and circled behind Metal, kicking it in the back. The robot glared at me and scratched me on the chest with its claws. I groaned in pain and clutched my bleeding stomach, then did a homing attack, but Metal Sonic flew into the air. It looked down upon its flesh counterpart, and then sent an electric ball from its hands. My eyes widened; I tried to get out of the way, but the ball collided with me. I screamed in pain as I was electrocuted, and fell to the ground. Metal Sonic landed and looked at me. It said nothing as it picked me up under its arm, and flew back to Eggman's base. Once it got there, it set me down on a table. I struggled to escape, but found that I was strapped in.

"Eggman," I said. "I should have known."

The doctor chuckled. "Of course it's me, you insolent rat. Were you expecting someone else?" I said nothing, and Eggman continued to ramble. "I have created a way to get rid of you once and for all, Sonic."

He grinned and unveiled a large laser, then activated it. A portal formed, and I frowned. "What's this, some high tech laser that creates bubbles? I didn't know you were so into Portal..."

"Silence! This instrument will be your doom! It will take you back in time, never for you to return! Allow me to demonstrate..." He amplified the machine, and the portal grew larger. Eggman grinned. "Nice knowing you, Sonic, but I'm afraid you're out of time!"

I tried to escape, but screamed as I was sucked in. The portal closed, and everything went white.


	2. Sold

Chapter 2: Sold

My eyes were opening a few minutes later. They had barely focused on the trees above me before a feeling of nausea gripped me and everything started spinning. A groan came up rather than the vomit I was expecting as I rolled over and closed my eyes. Most likely a side-effect of that portal Eggman had forced me into...both my ears twitched when the sound of horses came from the left. I could hear the deep sound of male voices as well, which made me feel a little better. Good to know I wasn't alone here. I stood and looked around for the source of the sounds. Through the trees, I could see a dirt road and a group of horse anthros. At least, I think they were horses. My trademark smile came to my face and I walked forward to meet them.

"Hey, guys," I said. "I'm new here and I was..."

I cut myself off when I noticed the way they were looking at me. Lust was something I rarely came across...usually Amy was the one expressing it...and this encounter worried me more than any other. For a few moments, I just stood there in startled worry. Movement to the side got my attention and I saw others coming over. They had ropes, and my quills raised on instinct.

"Those won't do good against a hedgehog," one of them said. "He needs to be knocked out first."

Hitting the speed of sound took only a few seconds. The men I ran between were thrown off their feet from the force of my passing. Swearing and yelling could be heard behind me for a few moments before the sound of my own running was all I could hear. I let myself laugh as I ran through trees, weaving between them and feeling the wind whipping through my quills and fur. Quick reflexes prevented me from crashing despite having no knowledge of the land. I hadn't had this much fun while running in a long while. At this rate, these people wouldn't be able to-A loud snapping sound accompanied intense pain. Rendered unable to move, I looked down.

Jagged metallic teeth bit into my leg. Torn flesh could be seen around the crude trap. Blood built up around the wound, staining both my leg and the trap. Ironically, the injury was the least of my worries. More pressing was the walking I heard. Taking a breath to calm myself, I bent down. Pain flared and pulsed up the length of my calf in protest to the movement. Getting the trap off my leg was going to be harder than anything Eggman had done to me before. Before I could free my leg, there was a hard hit on the side of my head and my vision went black.

"Quite a reckless one," a voice said.

"Should we really be selling him then?" Another asked.

My ears twitched and I opened my eyes when I heard voices. Pain was still throbbing in my leg, and I felt heavy chains on me. How long had I been out? I had no idea. Shifting, I heard the chains jingle and the voices stopped.

"Awake are you?" A typical brown bear leaned over me and I turned my face from him. "You can see the fire in his eyes still. You sure this is a good idea?"

"Imagine the money we could get off him. Sure, his leg's got an injury, but that'll make them more willing to buy him."

"What should we sell him for?"

There was a snort as I felt a growl threatening to rise in my throat.

"Whatever the buyer wants him for."

"You can't just sell other people!" I shouted at them. It was clear that these were different from the horses I had first seen. But they were no better.

"It's our job, hedgehog. Nothing personal, really."

I looked at the wolf and growled. He was smirking at me. Every belief I had was against this situation. If I hadn't stepped right into that trap, I wouldn't be here now. I should have paid more attention.

"How many people have you sold already?" I asked.

"That doesn't matter, does it?" The wolf grabbed my chin and looked into my eyes. "No matter. I'm sure whoever buys him will extinguish that fire by the time his leg has healed."

The two left and I struggled to get out of my bonds. As I struggled, I realized that my quills had been cut off to the same length as Amy's. All my defenses were gone, and who knows who was going to buy me? I screamed rather than let myself cry. There was nothing I could do, and I hated it.

-Two days later-

My leg had been bandaged and chains held my ankles and wrists together. What seemed like at least a hundred people were in front of the stage I was being led onto. The other anthros I had seen backstage had been defeated long ago, and I had barely been able to look at them. Head held high, I stood in the center of the stage as the wolf I already disliked started addressing the audience.

"Our first specimen today is a new one. I know some would like a chance to train their own slave, and now's your chance. He has a fire that I haven't seen before." I could see a few members of the audience lean forward in their seats. "Unfortunately, it was impossible to capture him without damaging his leg. No, let's start the bidding."

"A hundred coins!" Someone shouted and I felt my face grow hot.

"Three hundred!"

I growled slightly and my ears moved back. This was both infuriating and humiliating. I just hoped this was over soon. The same two voices argued back and forth for a few minutes, increasing to two thousand coins. Then, a familiar deep voice quieted everyone else.

"Five thousand coins."

I dared look back at the audience and stared at the hedgehog that both sounded and looked like Shadow. He was standing, red eyes scanning the crowd for any others willing to bid higher. He was dressed... like the nobles you see in movies. Except the frills. I didn't see any of those. Nobody said anything more and the wolf spoke again.

"Very well, Lancelot."

I was pushed from the stage and waited for Sha- Lancelot to get over here. He paid the bear standing with me and got a set of keys before looking at me.

"Time to go home."


	3. Lancelot

Chapter 3: Lancelot

I followed Lancelot...my new Master...silently, the chains around my arms and legs clanking while I walked. This was terrible...me, a slave, in a place that I had no knowledge of. Lancelot looked back at me, then shrugged and looked forward.

"What is thy name?" He asked in that deep voice that reminded me of Shadow.

"Sonic," I said. "Where am I?"

Lancelot kept walking. "Art thou not from this land?"

"No, I'm not."

"Where, then, art thou from?"

I looked at him and said the first thing that came to mind. "Rome."

"Tis a long journey thou hast made," he said, still leading me on. "I welcome thee to Camelot."

My eyes widened in shock. I was in Camelot? Then Lancelot was a knight! Or...was he? I wasn't sure. "You're a knight, then?"

"Nay, I am not. I would like to become one and serve the King, Uther Pendragon. He is a just ruler, and it would be an honor to serve at his side."

He fell silent, as if thinking about something. I didn't press the issue but continued walking, looking around. The land was beautiful, I had to admit, and wondered why the portal that Eggman activated sent me here. I shrugged and looked at my chains, thinking why this had to happen. A few minutes later, I looked back at Lancelot. He reminded me so much of Shadow: the same species, look, maybe abilities if he had any, and personality. I wondered if there were any other counterparts here. We continued on in silence for a while, walking down the dirt road. My legs became tired and I stumbled for a few before losing balance and falling to the ground. Lancelot turned to me and I picked myself up, smiling sheepishly at him.

"Sorry," I said.

Lancelot shook his head. "Clumsy fool," he said, and walked off.

I frowned and followed him. Is this how I was going to be treated from now on? A low-class slave whose only purpose is to serve a Master? I didn't want that; it wasn't right. My life was supposed to be free, not someone's property. If only I could go back home...but that wasn't possible, I knew it.

"Come hither, slave," Lancelot shouted as he was walking.

I gulped and raced after him. Eventually, we made it to a village that I supposed was where Lancelot lived. He nodded and the citizens and talked to a few, some curious to who I was. Lancelot told them that he had bought me at the slave auction, and I pouted. Again with the slave treatment...why couldn't I just be a free man? Why did they have to treat me like some sort of thing that was property? I sighed and waited for Lancelot to finish talking. Eventually he did so and walked off, motioning for me to follow. We came to a huge house and walked inside.

"Thy new home," he said, turning to face me. "But don't get too comfortable. Thou shalt sleep in the slave quarters down the hall. As for thy duties, I expect thou to finish them whenever I ask thee. If thee disobey me...thou shalt be punished. And call me Master at all times."

My mind processed this, and I nodded. "What duties do I have, Master?"

"Cleaning, working around the house, and helping in the fields. I will have other duties for thee also. In the meantime, get used to living here. I expect thee to be hard at work tomorrow morning."

I bowed, and then walked to my room. It was a mess, but that was to be expected. Lancelot followed me and looked around the room before nodding. I looked at him and sat on the bed, wondering what I would be doing from now on.

"Art thou satisfied?" He asked me, and I shrugged. The black hedgehog left, closing the door behind him. I sighed, wondering how he would treat me. Hopefully he would be kind, but I doubted that.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I asked myself.

My head hit the pillow and I looked up at the ceiling, then yawned, and fell asleep.


	4. A Slave's First Duties

Chapter 4: A Slave's First Duties

I woke up, stretched, and winced as my leg throbbed in protest. Stupid hunters. They probably damaged my leg beyond repair. I pushed myself out of bed and walked over to the door. Might as well check out the house.

Outside my room was the same hall as yesterday, of course. I walked down it back to the main hall and looked around. There were a few other doors to go through, and a staircase leading to the second floor. Paintings I hadn't noticed yesterday were hanging on the wall, showing who I assumed were previous owners or something. In any case, most of them looked like Shadow. Lancelot... whatever. I had no sooner touched the railing of the staircase when I heard a familiar voice again.

"Slave, I have something I wish for thee to attend to."

I closed my eyes and took a breath before turning around. "What is it, Master?"

His frown let me know that he had picked up my tone and wasn't happy about it. "Cleaning. Everything thee need is on the closet at the side of the staircase." Lancelot motioned and lead me to the closet he was talking about. "For now, I want thee to dust the library."

I looked at the items in the closet and pulled out what I assumed was the duster. This wasn't what I expected, though it was relieving to have something so simple. Lancelot again motioned for me to follow, this time leading me to the library. On the way he named off each room so I would know where everything was. When the door to the library opened, I stared. It was bigger than I had expected it to be. Considering the size of the house, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised.

"Once you're finished here, I'll have something else for thee to do."

Lancelot turned and left. I went into the library and looked around. It didn't look like it needed much dusting. With a shrug, I walked over to the nearest bookcase and started. If I took my time, I could think over what's going on.

There was the obvious slave thing that really bothered me. Owning others was something that just shouldn't be done. Ever. It took away the freedom people should have, and to my knowledge they were never treated much like people to begin with. I count myself lucky that Lancelot didn't seem like that bad of a guy. His appearance wasn't the only thing that was like Shadow. I had been expecting much worse treatment. Slaves were always treated terribly by the people who owned them. According to history, anyway. I sighed, blowing some of the dust away from my face.

"I'll have to find some way back eventually."

"Slaves may not return to where they came from." I spun around to see Lancelot standing in front of the door.

"La- Master! What are you doing here?" The moment it left my mouth, I wanted to smack myself. Luckily, he didn't seem to mind.

"I thought I'd come to see how thee were doing. I'm aware becoming a slave isn't what anyone ever has in mind,"

"Of course not," I interrupted Lancelot without thinking. "Who would want to trade their life and freedom to please someone else? If you know it's wrong-"

"In every aspect of life, people strive to show dominance over one another. This is the way things are, and have always been. Slaves have always served their masters as long as this kingdom has stood." Lancelot was silent for a few moments, staring at me. "Thou art the first I've ever owned."

"Oh. Then, the others..."

"Servants in my employ." Lancelot gave a small smile. "Believe me, thee will appreciate my ownership soon enough. Thou hast no idea what thou would be doing this moment if any other had bought thee."

"I have an idea." I shuddered and got back to my dusting. "So...how long has it been since you've read any of these?"

"A few months. I haven't had much recent use for them."

Lancelot came up beside me and ran his finger along the row of books. After pausing on one, he pulled it out and extended it to me. With an inward sigh, I dusted his book. Once I had lowered the duster, he walked over to the desk and sat in the seat behind it. Having him there while I went about dusting was... a little nerve-wracking, I had to admit. Cleaning never had been my strong point. By the looks of things, I was going to have to get used to it.


	5. Sonic's Mistake

Chapter 5: Sonic's Mistake  


A few hours later, I was done dusting. Lancelot looked at me, then stood up and walked around the library, inspecting the room. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction and walked up to me. I hesitated, wondering what he was going to say. Finally, he spoke.

"Thou hast done a good job," he said. "Thine may take a break. I have cooked breakfast for thee so thou may eat. Afterwards, I want thee to clean up the house and go out to work on the fields. Doest thou understand?"

I nodded and walked off. Lancelot followed me and sat down at the table across from me. I looked at my breakfast and sighed: it consisted of barley and bread. Not a very filling meal. Lancelot had pork and stew. I frowned and began to eat. It wasn't very good, but I didn't want to spit it out in case Lancelot saw. Sighing, I continued to eat, the manacles around my hands and feet clinking as I did so. We ate in silence for a while before our meals were finished. Finally Lancelot stood up and waled over to me. I stood also and looked at him.

"Get back to work," he said curtly, and walked off.

As he left, I gulped, then nodded. Cleaning the house couldn't be that hard, if I knew what to do. I walked up to Lancelot and looked at him.

"What do you want me to clean, Master?" I asked him.

Lancelot looked at me. "There are all sorts of things that thee can clean around the house: the dishes, floor, closets, etc."

I bowed and walked off, then got to work. Lancelot sat down and watched me as I did so. It was unnerving, him watching me like that. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get used to it or not, but he seemed like an okay Master. The first thing I did was wash the dishes, placing them in the sink and scrubbing them with soap and water. This wasn't too hard, at least, not yet. Most likely he would give me harder work as the days went on.

Soon, I was done cleaning. He looked at me and nodded. "Thou art doing a good job, Sonic," he said. "I will be gone for the rest of the day; there are errands I have to run. While I am gone, thou may continue thy work. There is a list on the table telling thee what thou needeth to do. Get them done by the time I get back."

"Of course, Master," I said, bowing.

Lancelot nodded and left. When he was gone, I walked over to the table and picked up the note. He had written up my duties for the day, such as working in the fields, quarries, cleaning, and a lot of hard labor. I sighed, put the note down, and got to work.

* * *

As Lancelot walked down the street, he thought about his new slave. Sonic seemed to work hard, and that was a good sign. Smiling, the slave owner thought about what else Sonic could do. He seemed to follow orders, and do the things that Lancelot asked of him. Lancelot sighed and walked into town, looking at the list he brought with him to remind him what to do. He soon came to a shop and looked at the things for sale, then bought them. A few minutes later, Galahad walked up to him.

"Father," he said, nodding. "How art thou?"

"I am good, son," Lancelot said. "How fares thy training at the castle?"

"Tis doing well. The King is pleased with my training to become a knight. I am but a squire now, and enjoy living at the castle. What art thou doing?"

"I recently bought a slave named Sonic. He has been doing fine, but I have only had him for a few days."

Galahad nodded. "I had best get back," he said. "I shalt see thee later, father."

He ran off, and Lancelot smiled, glad that his son was happy with his training. He continued his errands, his mind on his son, happy that things were doing well. If only he knew how wrong he was.

* * *

Night came, and I was still working hard. I had did almost everything on the list, but the last thing that I had to do was organize books in the library. My stomach growled, so I decided to get something to eat. I went into the kitchen and looked around, wondering what to eat. Finally, I saw some leftover meat on the table and ate that. After I had dinner, I went into the library to finish up organizing the books. The shelves were massive and some of the books were scattered on Lancelot's desk and around it. Sighing, I saw a ladder resting on the front of a shelf and used that to put the books in their proper places. A while later, the ladder creaked as I was going down, and fell into the bookshelf. The force of the blow knocked the shelf over and onto the ground as more followed it. My eyes widened, and I groaned. What was I going to do? A few minutes later, I heard an angry voice.

"What hast thou done, slave?" I turned to see Lancelot in the doorway, holding bags of groceries. He set them down on the floor and walked over to me. "I ask again: what hast thou done?"

I gulped. "I...I was putting books away when the ladder fell and knocked the shelves over. It was an accident, I swear!"

Lancelot growled and shook his head. "Accidents don't happen around here, slave. Thou shalt be punished for this."

He walked off and came back with a whip. My eyes widened in shock. "You're going to whip me? Why?"

"For what thine hast done! Now get on thy knees."

I did so, and he stood behind me. I screamed in pain as he whipped me; wounds appeared on my back as he did so, bloodied and bruised. After twenty lashes, he stopped.

"Go to bed, slave," he ordered. "We shall talk about this in the morning."

Hesitantly, I nodded and walked off, still limping from the wound to my legs. An idea was on my mind, one that I knew I had to do. I had to get out of here. I had to escape.


	6. New Plan

Chapter 6: New Plan

For a while, I lay in bed on my stomach. I didn't dare try to leave yet. My back protested any time I moved it the wrong way. Red blood was also sticking the fur together, which didn't help matters at all. For a few minutes, I thought about trying to clean it. Then there was a knock on my door. I looked over as the door opened and a rabbit walked in. She had a bucket in her hands, which I assumed was full of water, and a few things sticking out of the pockets on the front of her uniform.

"You're still awake," she said. I nodded, a little confused by this. "I saw you earlier, and I wanted to help you."

"You sure Lancelot won't mind?" The tone of my own voice surprised me. I rarely sounded so bitter about anything.

"Of course he won't. He wants us in top shape, not unable to properly do our duties." The rabbit stopped at the edge of the bed and set down the bucket before gently sitting next to me. "I'm Judith, by the way. My family's always been serving Lancelot's. I've been with him since we were children."

"And you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind. His father was a wonderful man, and so is Lancelot." I hissed a little when she pressed a soaked cloth against the small of my back. "Now hold still so I can fix this up."

I sighed and kept myself still, trying to keep my quills relaxed so they didn't hurt her. I have no idea what she used, but it stung. Badly. Probably some kind of alcohol, going by the scent I could pick up after a while. When she finally stopped, she had me sit up so she could wrap some bandages around my lower torso.

"There. Now get some rest so you don't hurt yourself any further."

Judith pat my hand and left my room. She'd done a wonderful job, even if it did still sting. Leaving probably wasn't the best idea in this condition after all. Nevertheless, I got up a few minutes later and left the room. Every step made my lower back sting and ache where I had been whipped. My legs had stopped hurting so much earlier, but they were starting to protest again now. Without my speed, would I even be able to get away?

I shook my head and walked up the staircase in the main hall. Lancelot had commented on slaves being natural in this place. What if my lack of speed- I cringed slightly at that thought- got me caught again? I had no proof that Lancelot owned me. Someone else would probably wind up buying me. I had no idea how large this kingdom was, or how any others would react to me. There was really only one thing I could do.

"What art thou doing out of bed?"

I turned to see Lancelot staring at me from down the hall. He was in an open doorway, so he had probably heard my footsteps. Sucking it up and dealing with it wasn't exactly something I excelled at. Especially situations like these.

"Just taking a walk. I can't sleep, anyway," I said.

"Thou ought to be sleeping." Lancelot came further into the hall. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked a little worried. After earlier, I doubted it.

"Right back at you. What's got you up in the middle of the night?"

"Responding to letters I've been ignoring the past few weeks." Lancelot sighed. "Mostly invites for things other nobles are hosting. I don't plan to attend any."

I nodded and stood there, unsure what to do now. Just walking away was bound to get me in trouble again. Lancelot looked me over, and a small smile came to his face.

"I see Judith hath paid thou a visit. How is it?"

"It still stings when I move, but I guess it'll be fine. They had better heal up properly."

"They won't with thou wandering around like that." Lancelot chuckled. Apparently, my tone wasn't as offensive as I had thought.

"Why'd you do it, anyway?" I really couldn't help myself. "I keep hearing about how you're a good man, but-"

"Is it not what is done with slaves?"

I closed my eyes, and slowly took a breath. Lancelot had an entirely neutral expression on his face when I looked back at him. This was definitely 'overstepping my boundaries', but he had asked.

"No, it isn't. Regardless of what they did, or what stupid laws..." I paused for a brief moment. I could word that better. "I mean, the punishment should fit the crime, Master. A slap would have gotten your point across."

"I see..." Lancelot crossed his arms. One of his brows raised as he looked at me. "Thou must have come from an interesting place. Where was it again? Rome?"

"I've been wandering nearly my entire life." I wasn't exactly lying, and I doubted he'd believe me if I told him the truth. The small shrug I gave helped my story.

"Then it is more experience than the laws which thou hast previously followed... Thou art an interesting one, Slave." Lancelot paused for a few moments before speaking again. "Thou should return to thy room and get some rest."

Lancelot turned and went back into the room he had come from. I stared at the door for a few moments before walking past it again and going back to my room. That had definitely been a strange conversation. Not what I had been expecting when I heard his voice behind me, for sure. With the way he had whipped me earlier... I shook my head and sighed. Maybe I could convince him to treat me just the same as his other servants. In a more subtle way, if I could manage.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, I snorted. Subtlety was something I would never get the hang of. Tails had tried plenty of times to get me to be more subtle about stuff. That had failed spectacularly every time. Well... except Amy. I could be subtle about my annoyance around her. And Knuckles when he was acting like a complete idiot. Bringing my friends to mind didn't help with anything. It just made me feel even worse about the situation. What if I never got home? What if I couldn't get home? I'd be stuck in this place forever. Being treated like a slave, unless I did something about it. I stopped moving the moment the idea came to me. Already, I could see what I had to do. Sure, I'm just one hedgehog. But I am the hero of a whole planet. Fixing a single kingdom couldn't be too hard, right? I just had to convince "Master" that it was a good idea. If I was right, and he was like the Shadow I know, that shouldn't be too hard. It would just take some time and persuading.


	7. Summoned

Chapter 7: Summoned

Night turned to day and I woke up, yawning. My back hurt still, as did my legs. As I got out of bed, I hissed in pain as they protested. Limping, I walked over to the cabinet and got dressed, putting on some raggedy old slave clothing, as Lancelot had requested. Frowning, I looked at my right leg. Most likely I would have this limp for the rest of my life. The scars were still there from that darn bear trap, and I winced in pain as I put weight on it. As I walked out of the room, I saw Lancelot sitting on a chair at the table, talking to a white hedgehog. They looked up as I came in.

"Slave," Lancelot said, nodding to me. "How fared your rest?"

I shrugged. "It was okay. Who is this?"

Lancelot was about to speak when the white hedgehog stood. "I am Galahad, Lancelot's son. Tis nice to meet you..."

"Sonic. My name's Sonic."

Galahad nodded and sat down as I stood there, surprised that Lancelot had a son. He had never spoken about Galahad before. Lancelot noticed my strange expression and looked at me.

"My son is currently training at the castle to become a knight," he said. "That is why I hardly see him."

"Why haven't you spoken of him before?" I asked.

"Tis not my business to share my personal life with a mere slave," he said, his voice grave.

I gulped and nodded, then sat down at the table as well. Galahad looked at his father. "I come with an urgent message," he said. "The King of Camelot, Uther Pendragon, has been poisoned, and will soon die. He has requested your presence."

Lancelot's eyes widened in shock, as did my own. "What?" He nearly yelled. "How?"

Galahad shrugged and stood. "Wilt thou come, father?"

The slave owner stood and nodded. Galahad smiled and walked outside as his father followed him. "Are you going to come with, slave?" He asked.

I nodded and walked towards him, limping in pain as I did so. Lancelot saw this and sighed, but followed his son. It was a few hours' journey to the castle, and once we got there, Galahad walked up to the guards.

"The King hast been expecting us," he said.

"His Majesty is waiting," one guard said. "Come hither, all of you."

They led us inside, and into the throne room. We all bowed before Pendragon, who was sitting at his throne, looking very ill. He was a blue hedgehog that looked a lot like me, and sat up when he saw us.

"Welcome, welcome and thrice welcome," he said to all of us, then set his eyes on Lancelot. "So...thou art Lancelot, the son of Galahad. He has spoken highly of thee. Come forward."

Lancelot did so, standing up and looking at the king. "My liege, tis an honor to meet thee at last. Why hast thine summoned us?"

The King coughed and groaned, looking at him. "Thou art here at the request of Sir Galahad. He has been knighted recently, and hast told you of my predicament. I am ill, and will soon pass away. I must find an heir to the throne, as I have no children of my own. My only son, Arthur, is...lost. Thou must find the wizard Merlin and have him come here."

"Who's Merlin?" I asked, then mentally slapped myself for saying something out of turn.

Uther Pendragon looked at me, and a flicker of recognition appeared in his eyes. Then it was gone, and he coughed once more. "Merlin is a wizard in Camelot. He will help you. Go to the island of Avalon; he wilt be there."

"Where's Avalon?" I asked again. Lancelot glared at me, and I fell silent.

"Tis on the outskirts of Camelot. I fear this illness is not natural. Find him at once, and have him come to me."

We all nodded, and left.


	8. Preparations

Chapter 8: Preparations

I sighed and looked at my leg for the hundredth time since we left the castle. I was desperate to run, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Small jolts of pain kept shooting up through it with each step I took. Why was it hurting so much now, anyway? I thought it was getting better.

"Can we pause a moment?" I asked. Lancelot turned to look at me with a frown. Probably for speaking out of turn or something. "My leg won't stop hurting."

"Thou can rest it once we're home."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Of course he was going to make me walk on it longer. Jerk. I moved my leg and got a better look at it before hurrying after the others. Honestly, I was surprised Lancelot was even letting me walk behind them. Maybe he knew I wouldn't try to escape. Arrogant of him, but I suppose it made sense. I hadn't tried anything yet, so he didn't exactly have much reason to think I would. We were back at the manor soon enough, despite my leg. I sank into a chair the moment I got the chance and ignored Galahad's stare.

"Father... Shouldn't you..." He asked.

"I told him he could rest when we had returned." Lancelot left the room and I gave Galahad a shrug. Wasn't much I could tell him. It seemed like only minutes before Lancelot came back and threw clothes into my lap. "If thou art coming with us, thou must dress properly."

I looked down at the clothing and moved it around to get a better look. There was a plain white shirt and pants in my lap. I set aside the pants. I didn't need those. The shirt, though... I gave Lancelot a small smile as I stood and changed. I probably shouldn't have changed in front of my Master, but it wasn't as if he hadn't already seen me unclothed.

"Thou look better now."

"You sure?" I looked around at myself and smoothed down the shirt. It felt nice, at least.

"I am." Lancelot pointedly looked at the pants and I shook my head.

"I don't need them."

If my tone or comment displeased Lancelot, he didn't let it show. Instead, he grabbed the pants and walked away again. There was something different about the way he was treating me... Was it because I was going with them? Eh, Shadow had always been a hard guy to understand. Since they're sort of the same person, I guess it just makes sense that Lancelot would be just as hard to get. I stretched, wincing when my leg throbbed in protest again.

"What is wrong with you?" I looked down at my leg in irritation, ignoring the stares from the other two that had just come in the room. It didn't look like anything was wrong with it, but I wasn't a doctor either. Maybe we could get someone to look at it on this adventure of ours.

"I've never seen a person speak to a part of their body in such a manner before." Galahad had walked over to me as he spoke, and now knelt at my side. Hands on my leg forced me to stay in place as he looked it over. "It's healing. Thou art using it often, so the pain keeps returning."

"Thanks, Galahad." I smiled at him, and he quickly stood again. "You're coming too, right?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

I shrugged. "Just checking. My leg is going to be fine, right?"

"A few days more at the longest." The small chuckle behind the words might have bothered me if it wasn't for what he was saying.

My leg would work properly again soon. Now I just had to wait for my quills to get back to normal, and find some way home. Merlin should be able to help with that. If he can't, then I guess I would have to find some other way home. Maybe there was some version of Eggman here that could help me. That's how I ended up in this mess in the first place.

"Hast thou ever wielded a sword?" Lancelot was looking at me inquisitively, and I shook my head.

"Never had a need for one. Why?"

"Thou may need one in this quest." That idea put a damper on my spirits.

"Nah, I'll leave the fighting to you guys." I motioned to my leg, lifting it slightly. "I'd just get in the way."

"A better reason for thee to have a weapon." Lancelot walked over to me and pushed a knife into my hands. I looked down at it, then back at Lancelot.

"You sure you want to trust me with this?"

"Thou won't try anything."

Well. Definitely more trusting than Shadow. He was right of course, so I guess he was an okay judge of character.

"I'm not using this unless I have to," I muttered. More to make myself feel better than anything else. Lancelot seemed to take it as acceptance and buckled a belt around my waist before setting the knife in place. The sheath was laying against my hip, but I guess I'll get used to it.

"Now we art prepared."

Lancelot motioned for me to follow, and we left the manor. Excitement was building in me with each step we took, and I fixed my gaze onto the horizon beyond the town. Soon, I would be out there again.


	9. The Quest Begins

Chapter 9: The Quest Begins

We left the house soon enough. Lancelot had insisted that I wear the pants, and I begrudgingly put them on, but not after protesting. As we walked through town, I looked around at the villagers. They looked at me with distaste, and I frowned. The manacles around my hands and feet were still on, and I sighed in irritation as they clinked while I walked. The pain and limp in my right leg was getting worse also.

Galahad looked at me. "Art thou okay?"

I shrugged and winced in pain, then shook my head. "No, I'm not. This darn leg is killing me." He looked at me, shocked, and I sighed. "It's an expression."

The knight nodded and looked at his father. "How long until we reach Avalon?"

"A week and a half, at the most," Lancelot replied. "Tis a few days' journey to the ocean, and from there, we must go to the island."

Galahad nodded and sighed, fingering something in his satchel. I looked at him. "What do you have there?"

"I'll tell you later," he said, smiling secretly.

I shrugged, and we walked on. Once we had left town, there was nothing but open country for miles. A smile came to my face, and I sighed. Lancelot looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What art thou smiling about?" He asked.

"Just happy to be out of the house," I said.

A frown came to his face. "If thou art thinking that thine duties as a slave have been postponed for this journey, think again. Thou shalt be working and helping us. That's the only reason I allowed thee to come." He thew his bag to be and I caught it. "Carry this, slave. There are valuable items in there, and thou shalt not drop it."

"Why?" I asked, looking at him. This bag was pretty heavy. "I don't think I can carry this much weight, especially with my wounded leg."

He glared at me before frowning even more. "Do not question me, slave. The supplies for our journey art in there, as well as my son's extra weapons. Doest thou understand?"

My ears folded back. "Fine," I said.

Lancelot nodded, and I grumbled under my breath. Of course that was the only reason he wanted me to come! The bastard. I glared at Lancelot angrily before turning away and walking behind him. I had to do something. Perhaps I could start standing up to him. I nodded; that was a good idea. I had been in Camelot for almost a month, and I hated it already. Granted, the reason was mostly me being a slave. Galahad looked at me, seeing that I was troubled.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm sure things wilt get better."

"Yeah, right," I said, looking at him. "Your father treats me like crap sometimes!"

Galahad shrugged. "I'm sure he has his reasons. But he has a short temper, so don't make him angry. Just do thy job, and thou shalt be fine."

"What do you think of this slave business?"

"To be honest, I have no problem with it. Slavery hast always been a law in Camelot."

I frowned and shook my head, sighing. Of course Galahad would be okay with it. The knight in armor smiled at me, and ran up beside his father. I slung the heavy bag around my back and trudged on.

It was night before we made camp. Lancelot had chosen the campsite at an old stone ruin, and started a fire. I set the bag down and groaned; my leg hurt much worse that it had before, and my back was starting to give out as well. Lancelot paid no attention to me as he and Galahad started to talk to each other. I huffed and looked around, wondering where we were. It didn't seem like anywhere special. I yawned as my eyes started to close; I was getting tired. Suddenly, a slap on the face jolted me awake, and I looked at Lancelot.

"What was that for?" I yelled.

"Thou shalt be night watch," he said.

"But I..."

"Now!"

I grumbled and stood up. Lancelot turned away and went back to sitting by the fire. Suddenly, and idea came to me and I smiled, then walked off to explore. The ruin was pretty large, and before I knew it, I had stumbled down into a cavern. Groaning, I stood up, wincing as my leg protested. As I did, my eyes set themselves on the wall, and I saw writing on it. Cautiously, I walked up and read it.

_"When a king is dying, a great evil shalt rise. Thou shalt set its sights on Camelot, attacking the kingdom when those who aim to protect it are away. A hero shalt rise, hedgehog in species, and royal by birth. Thy hour is near when the heir shalt be revealed, and Camelot wilt be saved."_

An expression of curiosity came over my face. What did that mean? Was it some sort of prophecy? I shrugged and turned around to leave when I heard a voice.

"What art thou doing down there?"

I looked up to see Galahad, relieved that it wasn't Lancelot. The white hedgehog climbed down and looked at me. Sighing, I decided to tell him.

"I went to explore when I stumbled down this cavern and found this," I said, showing him the writing on the wall.

He looked at it. "Tis a prophecy," the knight said.

"That's what I thought."

Galahad sighed. "Father is wondering where thou are. Come; let us return."

He jumped up on the ledge and offered me a hand. I climbed back up and smiled at him. As we were walking, I looked at him. "You going to tell me what you have in that pouch of yours?"

The knight looked at me. "Can thou keep a secret?" I nodded, and he pulled out a potion. "The King gave it to me. It's a potion that will transform me into a dragon. I plan to use it to fly us to Avalon once we get to the ocean."

"Impressive. Will the transformation be permanent?"

Galahad shrugged, and put the potion away. Just as we got to the campsite, Lancelot looked at me angrily. "Where hast thou been?" He shouted. "Thine was supposed to be watching for enemies."

I looked at him and shouted back. "Look, Master, I have one thing to say. I have been working my tail off ever since this morning, carrying that stupid bag of yours! My leg hurts, as well as my back! Can't I just take a bloody break?"

Lancelot slapped me. "Do not speak to me like that, slave! Do thy duties I asked of thee, or thou shalt be punished."

"Father..." Galahad said.

The slave owner stormed away. I looked at Galahad. "What's his problem?"

Galahad shrugged and ran after his father. I was about to follow when a searing pain erupted in my wounded leg and I fell to the ground. My eyes widened as I saw an arrow lodged deeply in. I hesitated, then grabbed the arrow and tore it out of my leg, screaming in pain before tossing it to the ground. Whimpering, I looked at my leg. The flesh had torn off and bone could be seen underneath as red blood streamed from the wound. The last think I saw before I passed out was Galahad and Lancelot running to me, and some people attacking. Then all went black.


	10. Healed

Chapter 10: Healed  


When I finally opened my eyes again, I found myself on my stomach. There was an intense burning pain in my leg, and I could hear Lancelot and Galahad talking.

"How's my leg?" I turned as well as I could and looked at Lancelot.

He stopped talking and looked at me. "It's going to be fine. Thou still hast the damage from that bear trap to worry about, though."

"No need to lie to me. I saw the-"

"Water blessed by the Lady of the Lake healed that perfectly." Lancelot gave me what I think was a smile, but it looked more like a smirk. Typical Shadow expression. "Thou art useless if such an injury were to be treated by normal means."

"Wounds like that can't just-"

"Do not move." Lancelot placed both hands on my leg and prevented me from moving it. "Tis a delicate healing... Thou must remain in that place."

"Didn't think Camelot allowed magic besides Merlin," I commented. Better to talk than just lay there. The pain would keep me up anyway.

"Camelot has always allowed for most magic," Galahad said. "Merlin brought it to us, and the people learned it from him. Besides, the Lady of the Lake enjoys spoiling her only son."

"Galahad, thou knowest how I hate mentioning that." Lancelot didn't look too happy, and I couldn't help my laugh.

"Art thou in love with the Lady Guinevere, as well?" Lancelot gave me a confused look, and I stopped laughing. "Where I come from, there's... You know what, never mind."

That was stupid. Why had I even asked? He couldn't be in love with someone that wasn't here. I mean, sure he had to make Galahad with someone...

"So, Galahad," I turned to look at him instead. "What ever happened to your mom?"

"My mother..."

"That wench left him with me the first chance she got," Lancelot spat. "Galahad has no mother, nor does he need one."

Well, that conversation ended quickly. I was still curious though.

"Prostitute, then?" I asked.

"A mistake that I both regret and am happy for. Thy wound is nearly healed. Get rest."

I pouted and moved one arm under my head. Way to change the subject. The pain had faded at least, and I soon felt myself drifting off to sleep.

This time when I woke, it was because the sun was rising. I was the first to get up, and looked at the two knights. Lancelot looked much different in his sleep. Less Mr. Grumpy and more calm. I wonder if Shadow looked anything like that... The guy's been through so much, I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't. I sighed and stood up. This was going to get me nowhere. Shadow wasn't here, and thinking of my friends was only bound to make me miss them again.

Stretching brought that now-familiar sensation of dull pain to my leg, though it was barely there now. That stuff he'd used must've done more healing than he thought. Or I hadn't used my leg enough. It hadn't really moved the last few hours. The dull ache didn't develop into anything more as I finished stretching, and I decided to take a walk. Those two would be fine for a few minutes.

Walking back to the ruins, I found an area I could climb up and started. At the top I took a deep breath of fresh air and slowly let it out. This is what I had been missing since my arrival. Air filled with the natural scents of the world, the wind blowing through my...clothes. I looked down at the shirt fluttering around my torso and the pants still covering my legs. Without a moment's hesitation, I slipped the pants off and dropped them to the side. They were ripped anyway. I stretched and smiled at the clouds before closing my eyes. This was great. Nothing was attacking, no one was here to bother me, and the sun felt great on my face.

"Sonic!" Galahad's voice broke me from my blissful moment and I hurried to the side of the ruins. "Get down here. Father wishes to be going soon." I smiled and gave him a thumbs up before buckling the belt around my waist again and climbing back down. "Where art thou pants?" Galahad tilted his head as he looked me over, and I shrugged.

"They just get in the way. I hate the things, anyway."

Galahad opened his mouth to say something, but Lancelot walked over and cut him off. "How is thy leg?"

"Better than before." I turned and gave him a smile as well. "I'll be running again in no time."

"I can't wait to see thy skills," Galahad laughed. "The way thou speakest about it, one would think thou art the best runner around."

"Not really one to brag, but I am known as the fastest thing alive." I posed, pointing a thumb at myself with the other hand on my hip. "You wanted to get moving, right? Let's go!"


	11. The Mountain Pass

Chapter 11: The Mountain Pass  


We walked out of the ruins and headed into the mountains. As we left, I looked at Lancelot.

"Who were those people that attacked?"

"Bandits," Lancelot said. "There are many roaming Camelot, so be on your guard. While you were out, Galahad and I fought and killed the ones who entered our camp." He looked at me. "How is thy leg?"

I shrugged. "It's okay," I said, grimacing. "Still hurts, and the limp is still there."

Lancelot nodded, and he threw me the bag with their supplies. "Carry this, wilt you?"

The bag landed in my hands and I sighed before nodding and throwing it over my shoulder. As we walked, I looked at Galahad. "How long will it take us to reach the ocean?"

The knight thought about it. "I'd say about a day," he said. "We shalt get there by nightfall."

I nodded, and we walked on. As they day went on, Galahad and his father talked to each other. Lancelot mentioned to me the things I needed to get done on the trip. As his slave, I had to work. I grumbled a little, but agreed that I would do so. Once we entered the mountains, I saw a long road that led through, and looked at the two knights.

"Thou shalt go first," Lancelot said to his son, who smiled and walked ahead of me. "Slave, this road is treacherous. Is thy leg going to be a problem?"

"Not sure," I said, looking down at it. "I'll do my best."

Lancelot pushed me a little, urging me to get going. I gulped and started to walk, limping even more. The road beneath us was rocky, and full of cracks in the ground. I looked up to see the mountain towering above us. Snow started to fall, and I ground. great; just what we needed. Lancelot was right; this mountain pass was treacherous.

"We shalt reach the other side of the mountain in a few hours," Galahad told me. "After that, it shalt be a straight shot to the ocean. Art thou okay with that, Sonic?"

"I guess."

The white hedgehog nodded and trudged on. Lancelot and I followed him. As we walked, by back started to ache, along with my leg. I grimaced and set the bag down, then leaned against the cliff.

"What art thou stopping for?" Lancelot asked, displeasure in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Master, but my leg and back hurts. Can't I take a break?"

"We must get going. Thou can rest later."

"But..." I protested.

Lancelot crossed his arms and tapped his foot. I chuckled at the sight; he looked impatient, much like when I did. Galahad looked at me, and then at his dad. Eventually, Lancelot sighed.

"Fine," he said. "But only for a few minutes."

I sighed and leaned up against the cliff of the mountain. The snow was falling even further, and it was good on my back. A few minutes later, I stood up and smiled.

"Let's go," I said, and walked off.

Lancelot and Galahad followed me, and looked at each other as we walked.

"What does thou think of Sonic, father?" Galahad asked Lancelot, who looked at his son.

"He is an...interesting person. Although, he can be cocky, argumentative, and disobedient at times."

I heard this and frowned, then sighed. As his slave, I knew I shouldn't do that, but sometimes I had no choice. Lancelot would treat me harshly at times, and other times he would be calm, like he is now. I shook my head and lifted the bag over my shoulder, limping as I walked. A few minutes later, the mountain shook, and we all looked up to see snow tumbling down towards us.

"Avalanche!" Lancelot yelled. "Thou must get to cover!"

My eyes widened as I saw the snow rushing down the cliff, and we all leaned against the side of the mountain. The snow covered us, and fell off the side of the cliff. Once the avalanche was over, the three of us climbed out of the snow that had now covered the path.

"Great," I said. "Just great. There's snow everywhere, and I'm already freezing cold. What about you two?"

Galahad and Lancelot nodded. I scanned the area and saw that there was a cave ahead. We walked inside and looked around.

"Thou shalt rest here for now," Lancelot told us. He yawned and went to bed, and Galahad and I did the same. The next day, we woke up and looked outside. The snow was still there, but it had melted somewhat. We walked outside and continued heading down the path. Every one of us was shivering, since it was pretty cold. Galahad sighed and brought out the potion, looking at it. He ran up and looked at me.

"Should I use this now?" He asked me. "I could transform into a dragon and fly us out of here."

"No need," I told him. "We're almost out of the mountains."

I pointed up ahead, and Galahad saw the path ending. He nodded. "Fair enough. I'll use this when we get to the ocean."

He put the potion back in his sack, and we continued on. An hour later, we got out of the mountains and saw the ocean in the distance. Lancelot smiled as we reached it a half hour later.

"Now we art here," he said.


	12. Sailing To Avalon

Chapter 12: Sailing To Avalon

Standing on the beach, I moved as close to the water as I dared and looked out over the waves. On the horizon was what looked like an island, but it was too far away for me to make out any other details. There was an odd misty look to it, but nothing else really stood out.

"Is that Avalon?" I turned to Lancelot, pointing at the island. He looked over, probably following the direction I was pointing, before nodding.

"It must be. The island has been known to be covered in a mist."

"Any idea what Merlin's up to there?"

"The wizard often goes places with no explanation." Lancelot shrugged. "We shall see once we get over there."

"Time for me to use my gift from the King, then."

I turned to look at Galahad, frowning when I saw the vial in his hand. "You sure there isn't some other way we can get over there? A boat or something?" If I could actually run like I used to, it wouldn't have been a problem. I've run that distance over water before.

"This wilt be the simplest route," Galahad said.

"What is that?" Lancelot stepped forward into the corner of my vision and I looked over at him.

"A potion the King gave to me before we left," Galahad said. "It will make me into a dragon to get us across."

"No! I forbid it."

"I agree with him." I motioned to Lancelot. "If we can't find some other way over there, that's when you should use it."

If the potion was anything like what Eggman had done to me that one time, then it wouldn't be pretty. That had hurt; I didn't want to think about how much becoming a dragon would. Luckily I didn't have to worry about that anymore. Galahad though...

"We are in a hurry, are we not?" Galahad looked down at the potion again.

"There must be a boat or ship of some kind willing to cross the waters," Lancelot argued. "I will not have thee changed into a beast."

"He's right. We don't know what'll happen if you use it." I crossed my arms. "What if it changes more than just your body? Or you can't change back?"

"The King has the best healers in the kingdom attending to him," Lancelot said. "A few more hours won't see his death."

Galahad looked about to protest when I noticed Lancelot turning toward me and looked at him.

"Can thou run?"

Tapping my foot a few times, I smiled when it didn't hurt overly much. I've run with more pain than that in both legs.

"Should be able to. Why?"

"I want thee to follow the coast North. Thee should come across a town on the edge of the waters. Ask around for a boat. We should get there in a few hours."

Turning, I looked down the coast. There wasn't anything in sight, so I supposed I would have to go quite a ways. Definitely depending on the speed I had bragged to them about the other day. I could feel a smile come to my face as excitement filled every part of my body. This was what I had been waiting for. A chance to feel free once more, even if just for a little while. I turned back to Lancelot.

"Can do. If my leg decides I can't run after all, want me to come back or wait for you wherever I end up?"

"Don't push thineself too hard. If neither works," Lancelot looked at Galahad, "then we shall risk the potion."

Smiling and giving a small wave, I turned my back on them and trotted off. Give my leg some time after not running for so long. Didn't want to hurt myself. Glancing down, I sped up. Couldn't go sonic speed, my leg wouldn't like that, but I could still run faster than anything else here.

And it was incredible. Feeling with wind on my face again, through my quills and fur. The shirt I had been given flew off behind me somewhere once I slipped it off- it was getting uncomfortable with the wind pulling back on the cloth. The ache of using my leg muscles properly again after all this time was more than welcome as I shouted in happiness. My leg was working again! There wasn't anything that could stop me now.

Unfortunately, my freedom was short-lived. With how fast I was going, it took a few minutes tops to reach the port that Lancelot had told me to go to. Looked like an okay place. Piers stuck out over the water, leading to the ships I could see from here. There were no walls around it, so I guess they didn't have many problems with coming under attack. Made my job easier, at least.

Walking into town, I looked around at all the people. Stalls selling wares lined the streets, everyone talking over one another to get the attention of shoppers. It was loud and bustling, instantly bringing a feeling of homesickness. The cities were usually much like this whenever I found myself in one. Everyone talking over each other, in a hurry to get to where they needed to be. Not really slowing down to enjoy the day.

"Sold for one-hundred coins!"

The yell from my left made me feel sick, ears flattening as I told myself not to go down there. It was probably a slave auction again. Both Lancelot and Galahad had said it was normal for this kingdom. Of course if it wasn't, they might have had something interesting for sale. I shook my head and kept walking. No use going to find out. The chances of upsetting myself were much too high. And besides, I was supposed to be finding a ship. There wasn't anything I could do to help the people being sold. Not with my own status as a slave. Biting my lip at the thought, I wasn't paying attention and bumped into someone. We both stumbled and I spoke without thinking once I caught myself.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention..."

"You should watch where you are going," there was something oddly familiar about the coyote, "in case you should run into someone less understanding than I. Dressed in that manner, someone may take you for a slave and-"

"I've already been bought!" Snapping at the guy probably wasn't the best idea. He was obviously someone of rank, though I had no idea who. "Master sent me here to find a ship to Avalon."

"Avalon?" He looked surprised that we wanted to go there. "Why is your master wishing to go to Avalon?"

"His Majesty needs to see Merlin, and that's where we were told to find him."

The coyote was silent for a few moments, and I was just starting to worry that I had said something wrong when he extended a hand toward me. I took it and he smiled.

"Antoine D'Coolette, one of ze best sailors in ze kingdom. I'm needing to go to Avalon for a few things myself, so I'll be happy to help."

"Thanks. I'm Sonic. Master should get here in a few hours, so..."

"I'll show you around."

Antoine wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me farther into town, leaving me little choice but to go with him. It beat standing by the entrance, anyway.

*****  
As Lancelot had said, it was a few hours before he and Galahad arrived. Antoine and I were in the tavern at the time, drinking. Well, I had water- citing that my Master forbid me from drinking any alcohol as the reason. Better that than be mocked. I had just been commenting on Antoine's impressive tolerance to alcohol when I heard:

"What art thou doing in here?"

I turned in my seat, giving Lancelot a smile.

"I've found us a sailor willing to take us to Avalon."

"You are this slave's master?" Antoine leaned across the table, hand outstretched. "Antoine D'Coolette. Sonic tells me you are needing a ride to Avalon?"

"Lord Lancelot," Lancelot shook his hand before motioning toward Galahad, "and this is my son, Sir Galahad. I take it thou art going to bring us?"

"Oui." Antoine nodded. "We can leave whenever you are ready."

"Good job, Sonic." I felt Lancelot's hand on the top of my head and if it wasn't for the fact that he used my name, I would have been annoyed with it. "Perhaps we should get some food while we art here."

"It has been a while since we last ate," I heard Galahad's voice behind us.

"Then pull up a seat and join us," Antoine said. "This place has ze best food in town."

After getting some food- Antoine was right, that was really good- we followed him to his ship. It was impressive, easily standing out from the others in terms of both size and color. There was a lot of red and blue, much like his outfit. Something in French was carved into the back of the ship, though I had no idea what it said. It looked French, anyway. Antoine led us up onto the deck and motioned around as he spoke.

"Make yourselves at home. I need to collect my crew, and we can be off."

He left and I smiled at Lancelot. "What do you think?"

"I'm wondering how thine leg is." Lancelot crossed his arms as he stared at me, Galahad wandering off to another part of the ship.

"It's been better, but it's been worse too. Doesn't really hurt, if that's what you're asking."

"Good to hear." Lancelot looked down toward my chest, and I heard him talking again. "Why did thou rid thyself of thine shirt?"

"I'm used to being like this, to be honest." I shrugged as I said it, walking to the edge of the ship and looking across the water. "Don't really need clothes where I'm from."

As odd as that must have sounded to him, it was the simple truth. Shoes and gloves didn't count. They were just a natural part of everyone's appearance. And there I went, getting horribly homesick again and wishing I knew how to get back. Because even with a crazy human scientist trying to kill me, crazy females wanting to date me, and the odd monster every week... That was infinitely better than a place where I was a slave. No matter how much I liked Lancelot and Galahad. I watched my grip tighten on the edge of the ship as I stared at my hands. There it was. Even after everything, I did like Lancelot. Much like Shadow, it was hard for me not to. Getting to know people had a tendency of doing that, and I happened to be good at getting to know people. Regardless of my initial opinion, they usually surprised me...

"Sonic, I asked thee a question." Lancelot's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, Master. I was just thinking."

"Never mind then. I suggest thou tries to get some rest. Antoine has already returned and shown Galahad where we may stay. Unless you have a desire to remain on deck."

"I've never been good with ships, so I think I'll stay here. It's not that long of a trip, anyway. Just an hour or two at the longest." I smiled at him and he nodded before turning away.

There was a lot of activity on the ship a few minutes later; the crew had arrived ready to get the ship sailing. None of them gave me a second glance as I offered to help. Just told me what I could do and left me to it. I could hear Antoine barking orders above all the noise as the ship set sail from the port.

Two uneventful hours later, we set foot on the misty island of Avalon.


	13. Merlin's Revelation

Chapter 13: Merlin's Revelation

The ship docked near the island, and Antoine looked at us.

"We are here," he said in his French accent. "Ze rowboats will take us to shore, so we better get in."

Lancelot, Galahad and Antoine all pushed the rowboat into the water and jumped down into it. I looked down hesitantly, wondering if I should get in with them. Lancelot looked at me.

"Is something the matter, slave?" The knight asked. "Thou should get in with us if thine is coming with."

"I...it's the water," I said as I looked at him. "I have a fear of it."

My master looked at me and sighed, shaking his head. "The water isn't going to kill thee. Come."

I sighed and nodded, jumping down into the rowboat. Antoine took the oars and began to head towards the island. When we got there, I scrambled out of the boat, a little seasick. It was good to be on land. Galahad and Antoine looked at me, amused. Lancelot had a straight face, his arms crossed.

"We should get moving," the captain said. "Ze sun will soon set, so we will have to make camp."

"Where's Merlin?" I asked him.

Antoine looked at me. "He is not far. The wizard usually roams this part of the island, so we shall see him soon enough."

"What does he look like?"

"Merlin is an old man wearing a blue robe and a pointed hat," Galahad told me. "He also carries a wooden staff."

"Sounds good," I said. "Let's get moving."

I ran off as the others followed me. As I looked around, I couldn't help but marvel at this place. The island was impressive, and some of it looked very old. There were rivers and valleys far as the eye could see, as well as trees.

"How old is this island?" I asked Galahad.

"Centuries old," the white hedgehog said. "Tis a sacred place; not many people hath come here. However, some hath in order to find the Holy Grail, which is said to be on this island. It has not been found, though."

"The Holy Grail? The cup that grants immortality to anyone who drink from it?"

Galahad nodded and smiled at me. As we continued on our way, I looked up at the sky. The sunset was beautiful. Eventually, we stopped to make camp.

Antoine sighed as he sat down and looked at Lancelot. "So, what brings you to Avalon?"

"A mission for the King," Lancelot said. "He is dying, and wants us to find Merlin to see if there is anything that can be done."

"Uther Pendragon is dying? How?"

"He was poisoned," Galahad said. "We're not sure how, though."

"That is terrifying," Antoine said. "Ze King must have your complete trust if he is to send you and Lancelot."

"And my slave," Lancelot said, motioning to me. I looked at him and sighed.

Antoine looked at me and smiled, then yawned. It was getting late, and we had to find Merlin tomorrow. As Galahad, Lancelot and Antoine fell asleep, I lay awake looking up at the stars and thinking. What was going to happen once we found Merlin? Would he be able to save the King? Could he send me home? If not, what would we do? I sighed and shook my head before closing my eyes and falling asleep as well.

The next day, we woke up. Lancelot led the way as I walked behind him. Galahad walked beside me, and Antoine was behind us.

"How will we find Merlin? This island's huge," I told my Master.

Lancelot looked back at me. "Patience, slave," he said. "Thou shalt know once we do."

"Of course, Master."

The black hedgehog nodded, and called his son up to him. "Galahad," he said. "I hath given thought to thy potion, and hast come to a decision. If we art in danger, thou shalt use it to become a dragon."

The knight smiled. "Very well, father."

Lancelot nodded, and we walked on. Eventually, we came to a large clearing where a stone was. There was a sword in it also, and an encryption on it. I walked up to it and saw that the same prophecy that I had seen on the ruins was also on the stone.

"The Sword In The Stone," a voice said. "Caliburn."

We turned to see an old man leaning against a staff. He smiled and walked towards us.

"Merlin," Lancelot said. "We hath come for your wisdom. The King is very ill, and we were wondering if thee could help us. Is there any cure?"

"There is none," Merlin said. "I myself hath sensed his illness, and it is made of Dark Magic. He will, unfortunately, die. There is nothing we can do." The news made Lancelot, Galahad, Antoine and I frown. Merlin turned to me. "I am, however, much more interested in thee, young slave."

"Me?" I asked. "Why?"

Merlin's eyes twinkled, and he smiled. "Thou hast read this prophecy, hast thee not?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "Yes...I saw it at the ruins. But what does it have to do with me?"

The wizard's smile widened. "My boy, it has everything to do with thee. The words, 'hedgehog by species, royal by birth' should have made sense to thee. The prophecy is talking about thee. Thou art the one destined to save Camelot in its hour of need. An evil is rising; it hath already appeared."

"That's impossible," I said, shaking my head. "I can't save Camelot. I'm just a slave. Plus, I need to get home. Can you send me back?"

"Nay, I cannot," Merlin said. "You are home."

"What are you talking about?" Lancelot asked.

Merlin looked at the knight and chuckled. "Have you ever wondered why the King lost his son, Arthur? Why he could never find him? It is because I sent him to a different time when he was a child to keep him safe. Now, at last, he has returned." The wizard turned to me. "Thou art that boy, Sonic. Thou art Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, and the lost Heir of Camelot."


	14. Sonic's Reaction

Chapter 14: Sonic's Reaction  


"Oh hell no." I shook my head and backed away from the wizard. "My home is with Tails, and Knuckles, Amy, Shadow... all my friends. That's where I belong."

"Arthur, I know this can be a lot to take in..." Merlin said.

"I'm not Arthur."

"...but Camelot needs thee to take thine rightful place as king."

I looked around at everyone as Lancelot and Galahad dropped to one knee and bowed their heads down. Antoine was looking at me in shock, and Merlin had a simple smile on his face.

"Your Royal Highness, forgive my treatment of you thus far," Lancelot's voice drew my attention back to him. "If I had but known-"

"Stop bowing."

"But, thou art the long lost prince. It is only proper-"

I turned and ran, quickly going at a speed I knew they wouldn't be able to follow. When I said it would be interesting to see this time, I meant goofing off. Not being some long-lost heir to the throne of a kingdom that accepted slavery. I hadn't even meant to become a slave, and look what had happened. Shaking my head, I looked around and slowed to a stop. The trees opened onto a cliff overlooking the sea, the sound of crashing waves the only thing I really heard.

I couldn't be Arthur. Merlin had me mistaken with some other person. And even if I was, I had no interest in taking the throne. I like my life exciting and free, not boring and stuck in a castle. They'd have to find someone else. Sure, I could abolish the whole slavery deal if I just accepted it, but was it really worth it? Years of being stuck in a castle, unable to do my own thing because of a title I didn't even want? And what about Tails? He'd never see me again, and with no explanation what happened to me. I couldn't do that to him. To them. I know they could handle Eggman, especially with Shadow... Tears started blocking my vision as I thought about it and I didn't bother trying to get rid of them. After all the stuff I've been through here, I deserve to be sad for a bit. Not every day you're told you can't see your friends ever again because of something you had no clue about. It's all I've wanted since I got here- well that and my usual need to help- and Merlin apparently refused to help.

"So this is where thee got off to."

I ignored him, turning away from the direction his voice had come in. Letting him see me cry would be the same as letting Shadow see it.

"Thou truly wish to abandon thine people?"

"They aren't my people. I'm not even from this place," I said,

"I am aware." I heard him sit beside me, but still refused to turn toward him. "It is thine friends, is it not?"

"I can't just leave them. They're my life... even Amy's too important to just leave. Arthur or not, that's where I belong."

Lancelot sighed. "I can understand where thou art coming from. Leaving a beloved is never easy..."

"No no no," I interrupted. "Amy's just a friend. I don't even like..." Biting my lip, I left the rest of that sentence unsaid. That was territory I wasn't sure I should get into with Lancelot. It would only lead somewhere I still wasn't sure about.

"You do not like her?"

"Not the way she wants. I just... never really thought of females... I don't want to talk about this with you."

I could feel my face heating up.

"Why not? If I can be of assistance," Lancelot offered.

"It's complicated." I could barely explain it to myself, much less him. "And could you treat me like Sonic?"

"I mustn't. If the others were to see me treating thee as such-"

"I'll tell them I wanted you to."

"Thou art no longer a slave. I cannot treat you as such."

I turned to look at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. "You haven't been treating me like a slave the past few days. Time to fess up and-"

I was cut off by his lips pressing into mine. It lasted only a few seconds, but those seconds were enough to set my heart racing and my mind into confusion. When, how, and why came to mind first, but I was too shocked to speak as he pulled back and raised a brow. Shaking my head, I felt a smirk come onto my face.

"Well, well... Falling for your male slave? Isn't that generally frowned upon?"

"Acting upon it us frowned upon, not the falling itself." Lancelot looked away from me, toward the trees. "Moreso now that thou art the prince."

"Then don't think of me as the prince- I don't want you to anyway." Lancelot looked back at me in shock. Before he could protest, I spoke again. "I don't want to be treated like someone I'm not. Just treat me the way you'd treat anyone you're in love with."

There was a silence between us for what must have been one of the longest minutes of my life. But it was never a good idea to rush someone when they were thinking, so I kept my mouth shut and waited. Finally, he sighed.

"Very well then." Lancelot stood and looked down at me. "The others are awaiting our return by the sword. Let's be off."

I smiled and got to my feet as well. "Sure thing Master."

I didn't wait to see his reaction, hurrying off into the trees and away from the cliff's edge. I could hear his footsteps quickly catching up behind me and soon he was at my side again. Looking over, I laughed when I saw his frown.

"You needn't call me Master any longer," he said.

"Maybe I want to." I was technically free now; I could do whatever I wanted. Lancelot huffed and I couldn't help but notice the faint flush on his cheeks. That definitely wasn't from running.

"Art thou going to take up the sword, even if thou doest not wish for the crown?"

Sure, change the subject.

I sighed. "If it's necessary." I really didn't want the throne but I couldn't just abandon an entire kingdom when they needed my help. If the prophecy was to be believed, anyway. "But even if I do take the sword, there's no way I'm becoming your king. Got that?"

"If that is thy wish. No one can force thee to take the throne."

"Let's hope Merlin agrees."

I had the feeling the wizard would be against the idea. He was the one who told me I couldn't go back home because I'm supposedly Arthur. Even if I did take the throne, I doubt I could change much. A law being passed couldn't get rid of something like slavery just like that. Not to mention all the people that would be against the idea... I shook my head. There were more important things to be thinking about. No use thinking about it if the kingdom got destroyed before then. I could worry about political nonsense after Camelot was saved from whatever evil the prophecy was talking about.

"Thy art finally back." Galahad's voice interrupted my thoughts and I looked around.

It hadn't taken long to get back to the clearing. Everyone was still there, each doing their own thing. Galahad was waving for us to come over, his sword laying on the ground in front of him. Merlin looked like he was casting some kind of spell, and Antoine was examining the sword.

"Since you are now back, I shall take my leave." Antoine gave a small bow. "There are things I must be getting to here. If you are in need of ze ship, just ask my crew. They can bring you back before returning here for me."

The coyote walked off and I looked at Merlin. "So... what's this evil threatening Camelot?"


	15. Morgan Le Fay

Chapter 15: Morgan Le Fay

"Her name is Morgan Le Fay," Merlin said. "She is a very powerful sorceress, and was my apprentice for some time." The wizard turned to me. "She is also thy half-sister, young Arthur."

Shock flickered over my face before returning to normal. I looked over at Lancelot and saw that he had an angry expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Lancelot?" I asked.

"I crossed paths with that sorceress a few times before," he said. "She is a black cat, and is very clever. Morgana has feelings for me, ones that I did not requite. Therefore, she imprisoned me in a dungeon and kept me there for weeks. Eventually I escaped, but she swore revenge." The knight gritted his teeth and looked at the wizard. "What must we do to stop her?"

"Morgan Le Fay has a deep hatred for the King, and will do anything to take over the kingdom," Merlin told them. "Thou shalt need all the help thee can get." He turned to Galahad. "Even if it means transforming into a dragon to fight her. She has shapeshifting powers, as well as Dark Magic."

Galahad nodded. "We wilt not fail, Merlin. Where is she?"

The wizard was about to speak when his eyes widened. He held his head in pain and fell to the ground.

"What's happening?" I asked the two knights.

"He's having a vision," Lancelot said. "It wilt pass."

I nodded, and waited. A few minutes later, Merlin stood up and looked at us. He staggered, and leaned onto his walking stick.

"I hast had a terrible vision," the wizard told us. "Camelot in flames, Morgana on the throne...the king dead. She is in Camelot as we speak, launching an attack on the castle. Thou must go there at once!"

"How can we get there?" I asked.

"I shalt teleport you there...but we wary. Morgan Le Fay is a powerful person. I will tell Antoine where you are." He looked at me. "Thou art our only hope, Arthur. Do not let the kingdom fall. Thou must accept thy destiny."

He said a spell, and teleported us away. We appeared outside the castle, and our eyes widened. The castle was in flames, and a huge black dragon was flying above, shooting fire breath out of its mouth. It saw us and flapped its wings before landing and transforming into an anthropomorphic black cat.

"Morgan Le Fay," Lancelot said as he glared at the sorceress.

The cat grinned. "Lancelot, a pleasure to see thee again." She looked at me and Galahad, her tail twitching. "Who are these people?"

"Like we would tell thee," Galahad said, drawing his sword after taking the potion. Lancelot did as well.

I gulped and looked at them. "Um...what should I..."

"Go into the castle to see if the king is all right!" Lancelot snapped.

I nodded and ran off. The sorceress watched me leave, and smirked. "Who is that fine young man? He looks like a slave."

"That is Prince Arthur, the son of King Pendragon and rightful heir of Camelot!" Lancelot told her.

Morgana's eyes widened, and she smirked. "Is that so? I'll deal with him after I kill the two of you!"

She summoned her staff and shot of energy at us. The two knights dodged the blast and charged at her, but she snapped her fingers and froze them in place.

"Pathetic," she said. "I expected more."

She turned away and walked towards the castle, but was stopped by something. A green aura had surrounded Galahad, and he held his hands out.

"Thou shalt not harm the prince," he said, before throwing Morgana to the ground telekinetically. Lancelot just looked at his son in shock as the cat hissed, twitching her tail. Then she broke free and shot bolts of energy at Galahad, who used his own powers to throw them back at her. She vanished and reappeared behind the white hedgehog, kicking him in the back. he fell to the ground, and she summoned a ball of dark energy around him so that he couldn't escape.

"I didn't know thee had psychic powers," she told the knight. "Now thous hast made me angry."

Morgan Le Fay threw Galahad into a wall, which crumbled underneath him. She smirked and transformed into a dragon, then roared and flew above the castle as guards ran out. They fired at her, but she smirked and ate them. Lancelot was still frozen, and watched helplessly as the dragon devoured most of the guards. A few minutes later, another loud roar was heard and the crumbled wall that had fallen underneath Galahad exploded as a gigantic white dragon came out from under it. Lancelot's eyes widened, knowing that it was his son. The white dragon growled, and lunged at Morgana.

* * *

While Lancelot and Galahad were facing Morgan Le Fay, I had run into the castle. Pausing, I looked around. The castle was in flames; smoke was beginning to cover the area. Coughing, I saw the doors to the throne room, and pushed them open. I had to find the king; hopefully, he was still alive. A few minutes after looking around, I saw a hand sticking out from under a beam. I ran and pushed the beam off of the person, and gasped when I recognized who it was. It was the King, Uther Pendragon. I hesitated and put a finger to his neck to check his pulse, but there wasn't one.

The King was dead.


	16. Tragedy In Camelot

Chapter 16: Tragedy In Camelot  


The sound of a dragon roaring outside tore my thoughts from the dead king and I looked at the window. With the state things were already in, now there was a dragon on top of it? That wouldn't be good for the people still in the city. If there was even anyone left. I ran back out of the castle, stopping in my tracks when I saw a great silver dragon standing before Lancelot. It was looking down at him, snarling with flames flickering at the sides of its mouth.

"Lancelot!"

"Stay back! I can handle this." Lancelot yelled to me.

I stared between the two, trying to understand what had happened while I was in the castle. Morgan Le Fay was nowhere to be seen, and neither was-

"Galahad, get a hold of yourself!"

The dragon roared and Lancelot moved before the flames it breathed could get him. I backed away in case they reached me. Without my proper quills, I was useless even if Lancelot would accept my help. The dagger he had given me wouldn't do much of anything against a dragon either. I sat on the ruined front steps of the castle as Lancelot tried to reason with the dragon. If it was Galahad, he must have used that potion. But why was he attacking Lancelot? Had it not worked the way he had thought it would?

The desperate plea in Lancelot's voice as he yelled at Galahad was heartbreaking. I had never heard either him or Shadow sound like that before. It hit me, and I could feel my ears fold back against it as I looked away.

There was a roar of pain a few minutes later and I turned back to them despite myself. The greatsword Lancelot carried was thrust up between the scales on the dragon's chest. Dark blood ran down the silver scales as it roared, rearing up away from him. Lancelot stepped back, falling to his knees as the dragon collapsed in front of him. Would he push me away if I went over? Not that it mattered- I was in front of him moments later.

"Lancelot?"

He looked up, anguish in his eyes and tears on his cheeks. I had seen Shadow like this once before, when he had all but given up on living. His plan hadn't worked, and my anger at the attempted suicide was the last crack to break the wall he always had up. Different situation, but were the hedgehogs that different when it came down to it?

"I killed him..." Lancelot's gaze moved down again. "I killed my own son..."

"You didn't have any choice." Personally, I hated the excuse but it fit the situation. I took his shaking hands in my own as I knelt in front of him. "He would have killed you if you hadn't."

"I thought I would be ready if the potion had altered him too far. If he lost himself, I wanted to handle the situation."

Of course you did.

"You did. Galahad surely prefers it this way," I said. "At least he won't attack innocents and destroy Camelot more than it already has been."

"Why did this have to happen? Surely Merlin- That wizard should have been able to foresee this. And yet he told Galahad to use it against Morgan Le Fay."

The dip in his tone was all I needed to hear to know he was changing the pain into anger. Letting him take the same path of vengeance and anger Shadow had wasn't on my to-do list.

"Whoa now, Master. Don't get yourself worked up. Grieve, then you can be angry. I've seen what this can do to people and trust me, it isn't pretty."

"Thou art correct. But we have more-" Lancelot looked up at me then and I could see how determined he was to get a move on. With hedgehogs like him, that was nowhere near the best course of action.

"Saving Camelot can wait. Taking care of yourself should always come first."

"But-"

"No. You're going to give yourself some time. A few days at least."

Lancelot sighed in resignation and nodded. He'd thank me for it later. Right now, we had to get out of here. I gently pulled him to his feet and released his hands. Lancelot walked past me, stopping after a few steps. Keeping my back turned to give him some privacy, I tried not to think of what was ahead of us. Helping Lancelot was the most important thing now. Not Camelot.

"What of the king?" His voice came from directly behind me, startling me. I turned to look at him; he looked exhausted.

"Afraid he didn't make it."

"So thou art no longer prince, but king."

"Nothing's changed. I'm still Sonic."

"Yes, of course." Lancelot managed a small smile and motioned to the left. "Shall we see what has become of my manor?"

* * *

It took us nearly an hour, but we found the manor. What remained of it, anyway. Admist all the destruction, the chapel of all things had managed to remain standing. So had the nearby fountain, though the water was soaking the lawn from where the side had broken. I heard Lancelot sigh to my left and looked over at him.

"All this destruction so a single wench may gain power."

"Not sure how Camelot's going to bounce back from this... Did anyone even survive this?"

"We shall have to see about that later." Lancelot took a few steps forward, stopping just outside the ruins of the main door. "I want thee to help me search these ruins. There may be something of use."

"I'll do my best, Master."

I watched as Lancelot shook his head and moved again, stepping into the ruins of his home. I had to admire the strength he possessed. Not many people would be able to handle this kind of situation the way he was. I know I couldn't. I hurried into another section of the manor, not really sure what I was looking for. Maybe I'd know when I saw it. There couldn't be that much that wasn't broken. With the state everything was in, I would be surprised if we found anything besides bodies.

It didn't take long to find Judith. Half under part of the kitchen, and cold to the touch. I pressed my fingers against her throat but felt no pulse. How long had she been here? How long had it taken for her to die like this? I took a step away from her and took a breath.

"Master, I found something!"

Lancelot didn't take long to get there, stopping beside me and looking down.

"So Judith is dead as well... It looks like we shall be having a funeral this evening." He stepped forward, placing his hands on the rubble and I moved to help.

"The others are dead too?"

"All of them, it seems."

I was quiet as we got Judith's body out, bringing her out of the ruins before setting her down. This was going to be a long evening.


	17. Lancelot's Grief

Chapter 17: Lancelot's Grief

Lancelot and I spent most of the night burying the people who had died in Lancelot's house and the surrounding area. The black hedgehog sighed as he finished burying the last of the bodies, then turned to face me. I looked at him.

"What are we going to do about your son, Master?" I asked.

"I know not," Lancelot replied. "We cannot move a dragon; it wilt be to heavy. Therefore, I suggest we leave it where it is." The tone in his voice was sad; I could tell. I walked up to him as he hung his head and began to cry. "I killed him...I killed my only son!"

Lancelot sat down and sobbed. I felt pity for him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Master, I..."

He pushed my hand away and stood up, then walked into the ruined house. I sighed and stood outside, looking at the graves that we had made. Then I went inside and looked around; Master was nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later, I heard crying and saw him in another room, sitting down by a ruined wall. His face looked crestfallen and he looked at me.

"Leave me alone, Arthur," he said, his voice choking. "I wish to wallow in my grief."

"Master, I don't like seeing you like this," I said. "I understand that your son is dead, but..."

"I was responsible for his death!" Lancelot yelled. "Doest thou knowest how hard it is when you find out thou hast killed thine own son?"

"But there must have been a reason for why he was acting like that."

"It's Merlin's fault! He told my son to take the potion, and look what it did to him! Galahad transformed into a mindless beast!"

"I'm sure Merlin can tell us what..."

At Merlin's name, Lancelot growled. He stood up and walked over to me. "I intend to speak with that wizard soon enough. In a few days, we shalt return to Avalon."

He pushed past me and stormed out of the room. I sighed and shook my head. What was I going to do? I couldn't help feeling guilty about Galahad's death as well; he was a nice person when I got to know him. I lay down on the ground and fell asleep.

* * *

A few days passed, and Lancelot was still grieving. He woke me up early and told me to get ready to leave. I sighed and did so, and we left before dawn. Lancelot said nothing during our trip; he ignored me when I had something to say, so I gave up with talking to him for now. When we came to the port, I couldn't help but think about the death of the king. What was Camelot going to do without a leader? Was I going to have to take up his position because I was the rightful heir? Only Merlin would know. As I thought about it, the more I accepted that that would be the case.

When we got to Avalon, Antoine, Lancelot and I went to the clearing where Merlin was. He looked at us and smiled, but the smile faded when Lancelot walked up to him angrily.

"Tell me what happened to my son, thou damned wizard!"

"What art thou talking about, Lancelot?"

"The potion happened! Galahad drank it to become a dragon! He battled Morgan le Fay and caused her to retreat! Afterwards, he started acting like a mindless beast and tried to kill me! On top of that, the king is dead and Camelot is in ruins!"

"King Pendragon is dead?" Merlin asked, shocked.

"Yes, but that isn't the point! I killed my son, and it's thy damn fault!"

"Thou say that he acted like that after battling with Morgan Le Fay?" Lancelot nodded, and Merlin thought about it. "I think I know what happened."


	18. Merlin's Explanation

Chapter 18: Merlin's Explanation  


I sat with my back against the stone the sword was in, Lancelot at my side. Merlin had sighed, leaning forward on his staff. I assumed he was thinking over what to say.

"Morgan Le Fay is an incredibly powerful sorceress. The power at her disposal matches my own, if it doesn't exceed it. Twisting the emotions and mind of creatures is well within her abilities and I wouldn't be surprised if that was what caused Galahad to attack his own father."

"Thee knew she had the power and yet said nothing?"

"I had no idea that she would use it."

"Thou still should have warned us of it!" I looked at Lancelot as he stood, hand clenching into a fist by my head. "If I had known she was capable of turning my son against me, I would have forbade the use of that potion!"

"And done what to eliminate the threat?" Merlin's expression was hard, yet sympathetic at the same time. "I am aware how much this has wounded thee, Lancelot. But you must think of the larger picture. If Galahad had not taken the potion, would the battle have come to the same outcome?"

"In time. Galahad-"

"The best counter to her abilities was the dragon. Surely thou must see it."

"Galahad did not need to die," Lancelot growled.

"Lancelot..." I went ignored as he marched from the clearing. I sighed and looked back at Merlin. "He's never going to forgive you."

"I am aware of that. But his forgiveness is not necessary. Camelot is however in need of a king."

"Let's get this out of the way. I am far from interested in being king. Doesn't really work for me."

"Thou art the rightful heir to the throne. Thou must-"

"I'll save the kingdom, all right? I can't turn my back on people who need me. But sitting in a castle all day doing boring stuff just doesn't work for me. You'll have to find someone else to be king."

Merlin looked like he was going to say more, but I stood and looked at the forest.

"I'm going to go after Lancelot and see how he's doing."

Without wasting another moment, I ran off. I meant what I said; I had no intention of taking the throne. There had to be someone else close enough to the royal line to take my place as king. And even if there wasn't, I'd make a terrible king.

At the sound of a yell, I turned and went in that direction. Lancelot was there, dropped to the ground with his greatsword still in the trunk of a tree. Even from this distance, I could tell his quills were raised and his body was trembling. Probably had a snarl as well.

"Galahad's death could have been avoided."

"Lancelot..."

"I killed my son for nothing." He moved back, coming to sit on his legs as I walked closer to him. "Things could have been different if I had not taken the easy route."

"What would you have done differently?" I knelt in front of him, taking his hands in mine.

"I would have thrown away that damned potion. I _should_ have thrown it away."

"None of us knew what would happen. Don't blame yourself for-" No. That wasn't the way to handle this. "What would Galahad say if he saw you acting like this?"

"He'd be angry with me. 'Tis not the end of the world' he would say." Lancelot fell forward a bit, hesitating before pressing his forehead against my chest. "He never did think there was any need for senseless violence. Tis one of the reasons he worked so hard to become a knight."

"He's right." I gently combed my fingers over his quills and could feel them slowly relaxing. "You should save it for when we find Morgan Le Fay. I mean, let it out- it's not a good idea to let rage blind you in a fight. But if revenge gives you a reason to fight harder, that's what matters."

Even if I would never agree with it. Vengeance only brought more hatred and pointless violence. It was a stupid thing to let run your life. But to people like Shadow, revenge helped motivate them. It stopped them from giving up and kept them moving. All I could do was make sure it didn't destroy them.

"I must protect what remains of Camelot." Lancelot sat up, determination in his eyes as he looked at me. "If Morgan Le Fay wishes to bring destruction upon this kingdom, I will do anything in my power to stop her."

"Sounds like you've calmed down." I grinned at Lancelot. "What do you say we meet up with the others again?"

"I will not play friends with that damned wizard." There was that snarl again.

"I would never ask you to. Just work with him until Morgan Le Fay's taken care of."

I stood and pulled Lancelot up with me. We had barely walked a few steps before he spoke again.

"What of Camelot? She needs a king."

"Right now, she needs saved from destruction." I looked at Lancelot as we walked. "Believe me when I say there are reasons I won't take the throne."

"Yet thou art willing to go far beyond what is expected of a commoner to protect her and her people."

"I just can't abandon people who need my help." I shrugged and smiled at him. "I'd rather stay with you."

"Thou wouldst rather stay with a man who's lost everything and had his name ruined than have the throne?"

"Yeah." I wasn't sure about his name being ruined, but now wasn't the time to argue with him about that point.

"Truly, thou art a rare person." Lancelot looked away from me.

"I've never been interested in power. Freedom's more my thing."

"Thou made that quite clear during our time together."

"So let's go keep Camelot free from Morgan Le Fay and grant freedom to the slaves."


	19. Preparing For War

Chapter 19: Preparing For War

Lancelot and I walked back to Merlin, hand in hand. Along the way, we talked about the kingdom and what to do with Morgan Le Fay. As we walked, Lancelot and looked at me.

"Why doest thou not want to become King?" He asked when we got back to the clearing.

I sighed. "Because I'll have my freedom taken away, and I don't want to be stuck in a castle all day sitting on a throne." Even as I said that, I doubted there was anyone else of royal blood here in Camelot. Looking at my Master, I smiled.

When we got back, Merlin looked at us. "As long as Morgana is alive, Camelot is in danger."

A smile came to my face. "Great! Where can we find her?"

Merlin muttered some words and his staff began to glow. An image showed Morgan deep in a cave using enchantments. Merlin's eyes widened as the image vanished.

"Morgana is summoning the dead using necromancy. If she brings an army of undead warriors into Camelot, there wilt be no hope for us. Thou must go to the Cave of Merlin, which is near Tintagel Castle. It is there that thee shalt find her."

Lancelot and I nodded, and Merlin looked at me. "Is it better thou art armed, Arthur. Take this sword," he motioned to the Sword In The Stone. "And use it well. If thou pulls it out, thou art the true King."

I hesitated, but went to look at the sword. Grabbing the hilt, I pulled, and it came out of the stone with ease. My eyes widened at the sight of the blade, and looked at Lancelot, who was kneeling.

"Get up, Lance. I don't want you bowing to me."

The knight nodded and stood, looking at the sword. "So...that is the Sacred Sword Caliburn. I have heard tales of it."

Merlin smiled and held out the scabbard. I fastened it to my waist and sheathed the sword.

"I'll use it well," I told him.

Merlin nodded and waved his hand, teleporting us out of Avalon. We appeared at Tintagel Castle and looked around. A cave could be seen in the distance.

"Ready?" I asked Lancelot.

My Master smiled and kissed me. "Ready."

I smiled, and we headed for the cave.


	20. Unprepared

Chapter 20: Unprepared

"Dost thee know how to use that sword?"

I looked at Lancelot, who was looking at the sword strapped to my waist.

"Like the dagger, but it's bigger right?" I sighed. "If I had my way, I wouldn't ever use it."

"Wouldst thou at least have my back in a fight?" Lancelot looked at me then and I nodded.

"I can fight when it comes down to it. I just don't like taking a living being's life."

"Thou sound as if thou hast fought things unliving."

"I have. They're usually..." I stopped and sighed.

It was true. Eggman rarely used actual living beings to fight me. Unless Metal's AI counted. But how was I supposed to explain that to someone in this time period?

"Sonic?"

"Never mind." I shook my head. "Let's keep going."

As much as I hated to admit it, there was no point dwelling on what used to be. I doubted I could get back without Merlin's help, and the wizard was determined I had to stay here. Besides that...

I couldn't just leave Lancelot. Not after everything that had happened.

"How far in do you think we have to go?"

"Morgan le Fay wouldn't set up such an elaborate glyph in a location that could easily be reached. She must be deep in this cavern."

"Underground castle, hopefully." Would be pathetic to be in a plain old cave.

Plain of course meaning empty and dry. The occasional sound of running water as we passed through hall after hall, cavern after cavern. No sign of her or any proper danger. Boring.

"If she's using this place as a base, you'd think there would be more stuff lying around. Or some decorating at least."

"Keep thy voice down."

"Doesn't matter." I waved a hand through the air, placing the other on my hip. "If she's as powerful as Merlin says, she knew we were here the moment we stepped inside."

"Thy art more intelligent than thou appears."

"Part of my charm." I looked up, keeping in the snort when I saw her standing at the edge of one of the other halls. A cliff from our perspective. "Had to stand up there to prove superiority?"

"I shalt always be superior to thee."

"Yeah, yeah. Ms. High-and-Mighty, standing above everyone to stroke her own ego."

"Do not mock me, Slave." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, turning her face to me.

"Do not antagonize her, Sonic. Thou must remember how powerful she is."

"I know, I know."

"Sonic? So thou art not the Arthur, son of Uther and new King of Camelot?" Before I could answer, she smirked. "It matters not. Anyone who wouldst stand in my way shall meet their end."

As she started chanting, she raised her arms. A purple mist surrounded her, spreading out through the cavern. I would have loved to stop her, but even I couldn't just run straight up a flat wall. The purple mist sank into the ground and for a few moments nothing happened. Then, the dirt started shifting and raising. Skeletal hands burst out from the small hills, bodies pulling themselves through as well. Morgan le Fay looked at us, eyes glowing, and smirked.

"This was a burial ground, long ago. Let's see how well thou deals with ancient warriors!"

I could hear her laughter get lower as well as her running footsteps. The skeletons had me more worried than she did. All of them had swords- where from, I had no clue. Some had shields as well, skeletal faces grinning at us as they moved forward.

"Let's get out of here," Lancelot said. "We don't have the time to deal with her cursed necromancy."

"No complaints here."

I turned and ran from the room, ignoring the skeletons at the beginning of the hall. The clattering of their bones as they fell apart was a sound I was grateful for. Lancelot was soon at my side and for a few minutes neither of us said anything. Running through the caves was difficult at the speed we were going and didn't leave much room for talking. Each hall looked nearly identical and it was easy to miss the openings in the middle of hallways. At least the speed kept the witch's undead freaks off of us. Ancient warriors they may be, but that hardly matters when they aren't fast enough to catch up.

"Where do you think she ran off to?"

"To that room from the vision, wherever that is."

I sighed, but I guess I couldn't expect more from Lancelot on this.

"Maybe we should have found out more about this cave before running in." I wasn't used to researching before running in; Tails usually did that for me and Eggman's numerous bases were never _that_ different. But against someone like her, I was starting to think that would have been a good idea.

"I hate to say it after how far we have come, but perhaps we should have prepared better. We've no idea just what the wench is capable of."

"Got a pretty good grasp." I laughed. "You fought with her, didn't you?"

"Galahad handled most of it. I was..." Lancelot shut up and I looked at him. The expression of worry changed to one of irritation as I watched and we both slowed to a halt. "Frozen. She cast something and I could no longer move."

"Well, shit. Can't fight her if we can't counter that."

"I should have remembered that before we set off."

"You had other things on your mind."

Undead freaks coming toward us from the hall, an evil witch capable of paralyzing us somewhere ahead, and neither of us had given much thought to proper preparation. This wasn't looking too good. As a dear friend of mine had once told me

_"Luck can only get you so far before you regret not planning."_

"Would you say we're running low on luck?"

"I think we need to get out of here before those monsters catch up to us."

They were getting pretty close. I could hear them in the hall, dragging their feet and running into each other. Must be zombies by now. I couldn't hear any skeletal bodies moving. Looking farther into the cave, I sighed.

"I'll just pray Lady Luck still loves me."

We ran again, this time running into the sunlit meadows of... Wherever this was. A castle stood in the center of the fields of flowers; an imposing structure I was willing to bet was where Morgan was waiting for us. Before I could say anything to Lancelot, a roar echoed through the air. If I didn't know any better...

"A dragon!" Lancelot swung his sword into a better position for fighting. "Ready thyself, Sonic!"

I looked toward the dragon as it landed. The beast roared at us and I could only stare in shock. Blood-stained silver scales covered its chest, and its body jerked almost as if it was being controlled as a puppet. Dull gold eyes stared down at us and I looked at Lancelot. Was that who I...

"That monster is not my son," he growled. "Do not hold back against this beast!"

"Gotcha."

So we weren't exactly prepared for any of this. And facing off against a dragon with my less-than-practiced swordplay probably wasn't a good idea.

I haven't felt so alive since I got here.


	21. Battle With A Dragon

Chapter 21: Battle With A Dragon  


The undead dragon growled at us and walked forward, its massive paws shaking the ground. Lancelot and I backed away as the dragon looked at us, growling. Then it opened its mouth and fire streamed from its mouth. We dodged the fire blast and stared at each other. Lancelot was trembling as he glared at the dragon.

"How dare Morgan Le Fay use Galahad for evil...I'll kill her."

"You just told me that that monster isn't your son," I told him.

"It's not! It's just a twisted version of his dragon form...and Morgana hast it under her control. If we kill her, we can free the dragon from the witch's control," Lancelot said.

"That's not going to happen anytime soon," I said as we dodged another fire blast. "We should focus on this dragon."

Lancelot nodded and swung his sword. He looked at the dragon and was about to attack when it flapped its wings and flew into the air. Fire rained down upon the ground, and the knight frowned.

"Damn," he said. "How art we going to defeat it? It is a formidable foe."

The dragon landed again and roared before charging at Lancelot and I. It raised its right paw and brought its claws down upon Lancelot, scratching him on the chest. The knight yelled in pain. I ran up beside him as Lancelot doubled over, clutching his wounds.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I am fine. Thou should not worry about me. We need to take down this beast."

I swung Excalibur and smirked. "Ready when you are."

Lancelot nodded. We charged as one, heading towards the dragon. As we did, the dragon opened its mouth and let out a blast of fire that burned Lancelot. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground as the dragon put its front paws on him. The claws dug into his chest and it growled.

"Lance!" I yelled, and ran over. The dragon was about to kill him, so I did the best thing I could. I dug my sword into its right paw, causing it to roar in pain. Red blood came from the wound as the dragon got off of Lancelot. It looked at me and growled, and I held up my sword defensively.

"Come at me, dragon," I said.

The dragon growled, showing its razor-sharp fangs. It charged at me, but I smirked and swing my sword, leaving a gash in its neck. The dragon stumbled and breathed fire at me. I rolled to the side, dodging the flame. My eyes widened, however, as I saw that Lancelot was in the way of the fire's path! Dropping my sword, I sped over to Lancelot and picked him up, then ran out of the flame's way. Lancelot stood up, staggering a bit, then looked at me.

"I thank thee for saving me," he said as he got his sword. "Should thee pick thine sword up as well?"

"Of course," I said as I picked up Excalibur.

Morgan Le Fay laughed as she walked forwards, the dragon landing beside her. She healed the cut on its neck and stroked the dragon's hide.

"You are doing well, my pet," she told it. "Now...finish them off."

The dragon nodded, and Morgana sent a spell towards it. It grew bigger as its silver scales changed to a dark black. Its neck started to split until it had eight more heads.

"She's transformed it into a hydra..." Lancelot said in shock.

I smirked and leaped up, going for the heads. With one swing of my sword, I cut off two of the hydra's heads. Landing on the ground, I watched as the beast writhed in pain.

Lancelot glared at me. "Thou art a fool! Doest thou know what thine hast done?"

"Yeah," I said. "Cut off two of its heads."

"Fool! When you cut off a hydra's heads, two more grow in their place!"

I looked back at the hydra, shocked. The neck of the beast started to bubble as four heads grew out of it. I groaned, swinging my sword in my hand.

"How the hell are we supposed to beat this thing?" I asked myself.

"Go for its chest," Lancelot told me.

"Right."

The hydra roared and reared up, its ten heads blowing fire at us. Lancelot and I ran ahead of the fire and went under the creature's chest. We drove our swords in the chest and red blood spilled out onto the ground. The hydra roared in pain as it started to sway. We backed away as far as we could, and the beast fell to the ground.

"No!" Morgana yelled, and ran over to the undead hydra. She cast a healing spell, and the hydra's wounds healed. The witch glared at us. "You may have won this round, but I shalt return!"

She froze us in place and said a chant. Smoke rose up, covering her and the hydra. When the smoke vanished, they were gone.


	22. Retreat And Regroup

Chapter 22: Retreat And Regroup

"Damn that wench," Lancelot growled. I looked over to see him stab his sword into the ground and kneel.

"We going after her?"

"I am uncertain that would be a good idea." Lancelot sighed and leaned back as I walked over. "We have not the means to stop her paralysis and she has that Hydra on her side now."

"Are Hydras really that powerful?"

"Less so than a dragon. The multiple heads are the problem." Lancelot shook his head. "But this one retained the strength of the dragon, I'm sure."

"So... she made it more powerful than it would naturally be."

Lancelot nodded and I sighed. Leave it to a witch to make things more complicated than they had to be.

"It definitely isn't Galahad any more."

"But we must still kill it for good, lest my son not be able to rest in peace."

Of course. Galahad might have been dead, but she was using his body.

"She's going to have it with her all the time, isn't she."

"Perhaps."

I'm all for tests of strength and bravery, but this was just suicidal. Her paralysis alone was enough to make me question being out here. The hydra has too many heads and with the same strength Galahad had... I'm reckless, not stupid.

"We need Merlin for this."

"What could that wizard- Thou knowest Le Fay will succeed if we leave now."

"So what's an army of the undead? Pull together Camelot's remaining troops. Get Merlin to help. And take her down."

I could tell by the expression that Lancelot wasn't fond of my idea. Or maybe it was the way I said it. Did I make it sound too easy? Grumpy black and red hedgehogs never did like the way I simplify things.

"Percival and Gawain may be able to help." So he did like my idea. "Neither were at the capital when Le Fay first attacked."

"And where are they now?"

"Merlin wouldst be able to tell us. If the damned wizard wants to help."

"You make it sound like he doesn't."

"The Lady of the Lake might be able to help with this war as well."

"Then we'll go see her too. But first we have to get out of here." I watched as Lancelot stood and pulled his sword from the ground. "You do know where we are, right? Because I have no idea how to get anywhere from here."

"I can lead us back to... Avalon?"

"That's where Merlin is and we won't get far without paying him a visit first."

With my speed and Lancelot's direction, it wasn't long before we reached Avalon again. And as we had expected, Merlin was there. He didn't look too surprised to see us, just smiling when we approached.

"Thou hast returned."

"We needed to regroup," I said. "An undead dragon turned into a hydra and her nasty paralysis spell made things a lot harder than they have to be."

"Dost thou have any plans to deal with this crisis facing Camelot?"

"Gather everyone and fight. What else?" I looked at Lancelot, who waved for me to continue. Still didn't want to talk to Merlin I guess. "We figured you could tell us where Percival and Gawain are."

"Gawain is searching for the Holy Grail near a dragon's nest. Percival... has returned to the ruins of Camelot."

"All right. Any way you could stay in Camelot?" Make it easier to get back to him. I didn't particularly want to come out to Avalon each time.

"I'll be there once thou hast found Gawain."

"Cool." I looked at Lancelot. "Let's go see Percival."

We arrived in Camelot again to see the citizens cleaning up. Rebuilding was going to take a long time, especially with the lack of technology I was used to. They were starting though, which I suppose was a good sign. Shouting orders and helping out near the castle was... Blaze. Or, someone who looked like Blaze in medieval armor. She definitely looked like a knight, so...

"Percival?"

The cat turned toward me with an expression that looked like she had been interrupted.

"I am. Thou art..."

"Sonic. You probably already know Lancelot." I motioned to the side and she looked, smiling and nodding.

"Galahad's father. It is good to see you alive and well."

"It is good to see thee as well Sir Percival. But we art here on more important business. Dost thou perhaps know where Sir Gawain is?"

"I heard he was to fight the dragon said to live somewhere in the Titanic Plain."

"Thanks." I gave a small bow before turning away and motioning for Lancelot. He was at my side and I could hear Percival shouting orders at people again as we walked.

"Finding Gawain shan't be difficult," Lancelot said. "There is only one part of the plains that could house a dragon."

"About time something was easy."

"Do not get thy hopes up. He was to fight a dragon; we may need to help."

Of course. Hopefully Gawain could handle the dragon on his own before we got there. I didn't particularly want to fight another superpowered lizard so soon. Even if there would be three people.

Lancelot had told me not to get my hopes up, but I went and did it anyway. Now they were crunched into pieces by a dragon. This one was, admittedly, beautiful. Scarlet scales were shining in the sun, long gray horns decorating the head like a crown. Long sharp spines ran down the length of its back, black standing out against all the red. Dark red wings were outstretched, probably to look even more intimidating. Its eyes were fortunately focused on Gawain as we approached.

"Not really in the mood for this," I said. Quietly, so the dragon hopefully wouldn't hear me. "You think I can pierce through its scales if I put enough speed and force behind it?"

"Thou wilt have one chance to strike the heart."

"Yeah yeah. Tell Gawain to move, will ya?" I definitely didn't want to hit Gawain.

Hitting the speed of sound was no problem. Fortunately, my sword didn't affect it at all. In seconds, I heard a sickening crack before blood gushed over my arms. The dragon's scale was pierced and cracked around my sword, blood flowing from the injury as the dragon collapsed. Fortunately I'm fast enough to get out of the way before it landed on me.

"Who might thou be?" The voice must be Gawain; he sounded just like Knuckles.

"Sonic." I turned with a smile. "I need your help and heard you were s'pposed to be fighting a dragon here. So Lancelot and I hurried over."

"I thought I heard Lancelot yell for me to move..."

Gawain crossed his arms as he looked me over and I tried not to fidget. Being under such scrutiny by someone who looked just like Knuckles wearing armor made me feel oddly nervous. Probably because of glare.

"Thou art fast, Sonic. How do-"

"Born with it. More importantly, we need to go back to Camelot."

"I was to look for the Holy Grail."

"Camelot needs thee more now," Lancelot said. "Le Fay is trying to take the kingdom for herself and we must protect it."

"That witch, huh?" Gawain looked around and sighed. "I'd like to at least take a quick look around this dragon's nest."

"Sure thing." A quick look shouldn't take too long. Not like Camelot was suddenly going to explode if we took an hour longer.

Unfortunately, the Grail wasn't in the dragon's nest. Gawain had said something about knowing it wouldn't be that easy, but it almost felt like a waste to kill the dragon and not find it. Plenty of riches in there, so Gawain wanted to close off the area until I decided what to do with them. Well, he said until the king decided. Since I'm technically the king, it would probably end up as my decision.

"Lancelot."

"We should be catching up to Gawain," he said.

"He knows his way around Camelot. I need to talk to you before we get this thing started."

"Then speak."

"Only the king can pull something like this off, right? Being the only one with the proper authority and all that."

"Thou wish to claim thy title?"

"I..." Truthfully, I still didn't want it. I probably never would want it. But they needed their king in war...

"Do not think thou must claim the title for anyone's sake." Lancelot took my hands and gave me a smile. "If it goes against thy wishes, thou should not have to."

"I know that." I looked in the direction of the castle. "But I feel like it's the right thing to do. Can't leave Camelot king-less, and I've no idea who would be in charge if I don't just claim it."

I've seen enough movies to know they'd probably argue over who's in charge and Morgan would have yet another advantage.

"I wouldst think Percival shall take command. She's the best of the knights and well-suited for the task."

"So... good at tactics, huh?" I looked back at Lancelot in time to see him nod. "Guess I'll leave her in charge then. After all this is done, I might have to talk to her about taking the throne too. If she doesn't mind."

"Merlin may very well announce thee as king."

"Then my first royal command will be to put Percival in charge. Tactics aren't my strong point, and I'd rather have someone who knows what she's doing shouting orders at everyone."

"Thou shouldst tell the others that once we get there."

I knew Lancelot was right about Merlin. There was no way he wouldn't tell the knights I was their rightful king. Hopefully they'll just listen when I put Percival in charge. From what I saw earlier, she can handle it much better than I could.

This wouldn't get itself done, so we went to the castle to join up with the others.


	23. Meeting At The Round Table

Chapter 23: Meeting At The Round Table  


When we got to the castle, Lance and I stopped and looked at it. It was still standing, which we were thankful for, and walked inside. I scanned the great hall and saw the Round Table, then walked up and sat in a chair. Percival and Gawain were already sitting, and Lancelot sat next to me.

"We need to figure out what to do with Morgan Le Fay," I said to them. "She is a danger to Camelot, and must be stopped."

"And why should we listen to thee?" Gawain asked. "Thou art just a slave."

"Arthur is the rightful King of Camelot," a voice said. "He is the son of Uther Pendragon."

We all turned to see Merlin walk into the room. I sighed and fidgeted in my seat nervously. Did he really have to announce it to everyone? Gawain and Percival looked at me, shocked, then stood and bowed.

"Sire, we are honored to be in thy presence," Percival said.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, annoyed. I motioned the two to stand, and they did so. "Look...I'm not sure if I wanna be king yet. I'm still thinking about it. For now, we need to defeat Le Fay. Once she's out of the way and Camelot is safe, then I'll decide if I'm ready or not."

"Fair enough, sire," Gawain said. "If I may ask, where art Galahad? Percival and I haven't seen him."

Lancelot's eyes widened. I was about to speak when he stood up and turned around, then left the room. Gawain and Percival watched him leave, confused. Finally, Gawain spoke again.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Galahad...is dead," I told him. Both the knights gasped, and I continued. "He transformed himself into a dragon to battle Morgan Le Fay, but she turned him against us and Lancelot was forced to kill him. To make matters worse, Morgana raised Galahad as an undead dragon and turned him into a hydra."

"That...that is terrible," Percival said. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Right now, the only thing we can do is defeat Morgan Le Fay," I said, banging my fist on the table. "But we need a strategy...one that will defeat her and that damn hydra for good. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

God, I was already starting to sound like a king. Percival and Gawain looked at each other and then back to me.

"Merlin can help us," Gawain told me, and looked at the wizard. "Won't thee?"

"Aye," Merlin said. "That is why I am here."

"Then thou can use thy magic against her."

Merlin nodded. "Morgan Le Fay has an army of undead minions at her disposal, including dragons and other creatures. I could transform some of you into creatures temporarily to fight them."

"That could work," I said, thinking. "But what if she uses her magic like she did on Galahad?"

"I shalt cast a spell that wilt prevent her brainwashing. You can also use your weapons. There is also...another matter that I hast recently found out. She is looking for the Holy Grail to make herself immortal."

"What?" Gawain yelled, standing up. "That witch! The Grail has immense powers. If she gets a hold of it, then all shalt be lost!"

"I agree," I said, standing up. "Which is why we need to find her. Gawain, you said that you're looking for the Holy Grail?"

"Aye, sire," the echidna said. "Thy father tasked me to find it before he died. My last lead was in the dragon cave I was searching. There was too be some sort of map there that could help locate it."

"That's a start, then. This meeting is adjourned." I looked at Percival. "Sir Percival, there is something I must speak to you about."

I walked out of the room and Percival followed me. She looked at me curiously. "What is it, sire?"

"As I said before, I am still thinking about being king...and until I have made my decision, I would like you to be in charge for the time being."

Percival's eyes widened. "Are...are you sure, my Lord?"

"I am. I don't know much about tactical stuff, anyway."

I smiled, and motioned for her to stand. "That is all for now."

She smiled back, and saw the sword of Excalibur at my side in its scabbard. "Is that..."

I took it out and swung it. "Yeah; it's the sword Excalibur. I took it from the stone."

"Then you really are the rightful king."

I put the sword away and shrugged. "Yeah...I guess. That is all; you may go."

She bowed again and blushed, then walked away. I watched her leave and sighed. If I was going to be king...would I need a queen also? I wasn't sure what to think, so I headed to see Lancelot.


	24. Killing Time

**Fangs Of Lightning's note: I did post a full version of this on my own profile, if anyone's interested. Rated M.**

Chapter 24: Killing Time

I found Lancelot in the burned ruins of the gardens, staring out at what little remained of the flowers and hedges. It was sad to see nature in such a state, and I sighed as I stood beside him. We'd defeat... kill... the one who had done this soon enough. Then we could rebuild.

"I am sorry for leaving thee to explain."

"Hey, it was your son. No need to apologize." For a few moments, neither of us said anything. "Le Fay apparently wants the Grail."

"Of course she does." There was a tired sigh in Lancelot's voice. "Tis but a myth. I doubt anyone can find it."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it could be found."

"What makes thou say that?"

"I've had my share of things that shouldn't exist existing. It wouldn't surprise me if the Holy Grail was real too."

And I wasn't just talking about everything here. I'd seen aliens bent on destroying the world, a few gods, a time travelling hedgehog, a cat from another dimension entirely... Stuff like that. Maybe someday I could tell Lancelot about them.

"Thou must have had an interesting life."

"You've no idea."

This latest adventure was looking to be my last, too. Whether I died trying to defeat Le Fay or took the throne. I could just ditch the throne and go off exploring with Lancelot. But what kind of person would that make me? These people needed someone to lead them when all this was over with, and the slaves needed freedom. Though I doubt I'd make a good king.

"Is something wrong, Sonic?"

"Just thinking about what to do after all this. If I take my place as king, people will expect me to have a queen. But it doesn't feel right to marry someone for that reason alone."

"Thou does not wish for a loveless marriage."

"If I could just marry you without the kingdom getting on my case about it, I would." I grinned over at him.

"Such a thing to say... Your Majesty."

It was the truth. I'd marry Lancelot without hesitation if I wasn't so sure the kingdom would freak out. Things like that just weren't accepted in this time period. Not to my knowledge, anyway. For all I knew, they didn't really care in this version of history.

Whatever the case, I was starting to get an idea.

"I can say worse, Lord Lancelot. Like how I'd love for you to take me."

Away from here, away from royal duties, from everything I wasn't ready for. But that wasn't how I meant it, and anyway...

A growing smirk was on his lips, the expression matching the way I was feeling. We were on the same page.

"And how would thou like to be taken?"

"On a wall. Hard and fast... Biting and gripping me hard enough to leave some bruises." I moved closer to him, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt as I leaned in close. "Mark me as yours and take me in whatever way you see fit."

My back hit the wall of the castle and I found myself between a rock and a hard place. There was a desire in Lancelot's eyes as he looked at me, and I'm pretty sure mine matched. Now this... this was a way to kill time. And so much better than standing around talking.

* * *

The ground wasn't exactly where a king should be lying, but I was strangely content to find myself on it once again. Guess I missed it more than I knew. When all this gets done, I should go out with Lancelot. See Camelot- no, the world- in it's glory. Without any threat looming over the horizon. With nothing to worry about aside from where I'll be sleeping and what I'm eating. This time period no doubt had far more places that haven't been built on yet. Wide open fields, forests spanning miles, towering mountains just waiting to be climbed... And if Lancelot went with me, I'd at least have someone to talk to. No more lone social hedgehog taking in the sights. As much as I would miss Tails...

"Thinking again?" Lancelot laid at my side as I nodded.

"This world must be beautiful. I was thinking I'd like to go out and see it. Once Camelot's saved and all."

"Thou hasn't done that in thy travels?"

"Not nearly as much as I'd like to. Someone had me as a slave the last few months."

I smiled over at him; hopefully he understood that wasn't an accusation.

"Fair enough," Lancelot chuckled.

My travels. How I would love to go out for the sake of running again. Meet new people. Take in the sights whenever the mood struck me. Being king just didn't fit in with my lifestyle. I felt my smile fade as I looked back up at the sky.

"If I did claim my title, would I be able to do whatever I wanted?"

"Thou wouldst be king. I see no reason thou wouldn't."

"Even if I wanted to run off for extended periods of time and see the world?"

"Thou loves thy freedom." For a few long moments Lancelot didn't say anything. "If thou had someone with thee, as protection, and didn't leave Camelot defenseless..."

"Oh, I'd put someone in charge. And I won't leave until this slavery business is over with anyway." My biggest reason for even considering the crown- I couldn't trust anyone else to stop the slavery. "I've already decided that will be my first kingly command. With Camelot in the state she's in, it shouldn't lead to a civil war or anything."

"People will still oppose thee. But thou art charming enough to convince them otherwise."

"What, you mean like talking them into it?" I laughed. "Not in this situation. I have zero tolerance for people like that. They'll just have to get used to having paid servants. People do pay their servants, right?"

"Of course."

For a while longer, I don't know how much time had passed, we lay there. Watching the clouds go by and wishing everything could remain this peaceful. Trying not to think about the headache taking the throne was going to be. Closing my eyes, I could imagine what these gardens must've sounded like before. The rush of water from the fountains. Murmured conversations as people walked through, sitting on benches and enjoying the outdoors. Birds singing in the trees and flowers. I should make that a reality again. Everyone should enjoy nature to some degree, even if it was something as simple as sitting outside and listening to the birds.

I looked to the side, grinned at the shallow cuts in the stone- I knew my quills had cut into it- and sat up. Enough daydreaming. My stomach grumbled as I stood and stretched before looking at Lancelot. Nudging him with my foot woke him and he half glared up at me.

"We should get back inside," I said. "Tomorrow, we're going to pay the Lady of the Lake a visit. Might as well get some dinner and rest up."


	25. Origins

Chapter 25: Origins

The next morning, I awoke to see Lancelot standing over my bed. Red eyes bore down on me, and he smirked.

"Thou hast been sleeping for far too long, Sir Sonic. Merlin requests thy presence, and it is not wise for the son of Uther Pendragon to be late."

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Half past noon."

My eyes widened, and I stumbled out of bed. Unfortunately, I was wrapped in the sheets and fell onto the floor. Lancelot looked amused, walking over and untangling me from the sheets.

"Thou art a mirthful one," he said. "Art thou like this every time thee wakes?"

"Sometimes," I said. "Although I could use some coffee, if you have any."

"I do not know this coffee thou speaketh of."

"It's a beverage. Keeps you awake."

Lancelot walked up to me. "I could think of something else that shalt keep thou awake. Tell me, doest thou wish to be..." He pushed me up against the wall, kissing me. "Mine?"

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Perhaps."

I pushed Lancelot away slightly. "Maybe later. Right now, we need to see what Merlin wants."

The black hedgehog nodded, and followed me into the great hall. The knights were sitting at the Round Table, and stood to attention when I walked in.

"Sire," Gawain said. "Merlin has just been telling us of his knowledge of the Grail's location."

I looked at him. "You know where it is?"

"I have heard rumors," the old wizard said. "Some say it is in Glastonbury; others say it is in the Great Castle Of Corbenic, guarded by the immortal Grail Knights. However, the location of the castle has long been forgotten."

Percival looked at me. "If thou wishes, sire, we would like thy permission to search for the Grail."

"Granted," I said. "All of us will go to Glastonbury first. Merlin, do you know any leads to Corbenic?"

"The Lady Of The Lake, Nimue, would know." He stood up. "Come; walk with me." He walked out of the hall and into the courtyard. I looked at him, and he started to speak. "This is a very important task, Arthur. If Morgan Le Fay gets her hands on the Grail, all will be lost. And she has Galahad with her too."

"Does Galahad know where the Grail is?"

"There is a prophecy that says that he will be the one to find the Holy Grail, which makes things even more complicated. Also, there is another matter I would like to speak to thee about. Thy lost memories."

I looked confused. "Lost memories?"

"Yes. I sealed memories of thy childhood away when I sent thee to the present. There was...a terrible tragedy in thy youth."

"What happened?"

Merlin was about to speak when a sword went through his chest, and he gasped in pain before falling to the ground. A pool of blood was surrounding him. I yelled in shock and kneeled beside him, but then heard a laugh. I looked up to see Morgan Le Fay.

"And so the mighty Merlin falls," she said, laughing even more.

Merlin looked at me, then reached up and placed a hand on my forehead. My eyes widened as memories came flowing through my mind.

_I was 9 years old, and was running through the castle. Suddenly, someone stopped me and I turned to see my father._

_"Be careful, son," Uther Pendragon said. "Thou doest not want to run into anyone."  
_

_"I'll be fine, father," I said with a smile. "Thou worrieth too much."  
_

_My father smiled back. "Go see thy mother. She is looking for thee."_

_I chuckled and walked into the Great Hall. My mother, Queen Aleena, was sitting at the Round Table talking to the knights. She looked up as I walked in._

_"Arthur," she said, standing up. "I hath been looking for thee."  
_

_"What doest thou want me for, mother?" I asked, bowing slightly._

_Aleena smiled. "I would like thee to accompany me on a visit to the village."_

_Suddenly, a guard burst into the room. "My Queen, come quickly! Someone is attacking the castle!"_

_"Who?"_

_"She would not identify herself, but the attacker is a black cat."_

_Aleena ran out of the room. I hesitated, and followed her. Once we reached the courtyard, my father was standing in front of an anthropomorphic black cat. She was holding a staff and wearing a robe. _

_"Who art thou?" My father asked. "Speak!"_

_"I am Morgan Le Fay, and soon thy kingdom shall be mine," the cat said. She laughed and pointed her scepter at my father. "Relinquish thy crown, or die."  
_

_"Never! I am the King Of Camelot!"_

_Morgana chuckled, drawing her sword. It crackled with energy. "Doest thou wish to go against me?"_

_"I wilt never surrender to the likes of you."_

_The black cat hissed and attacked, but my mother jumped in front of the king. She gasped as the sword went through her chest._

_"Mother!" I screamed, watching as she fell to the ground, dead._

_"Aleena!" My father yelled, and ran over to her. He glared at Morgan Le Fay, who smirked evilly. _

_"Now doest that convince thee?" She asked. "Give thy kingdom to me, or I shalt kill thee also."_

_"Never!"_

_Morgan Le Fay growled and attacked, but was blocked by a magic shield. Merlin stood over us, holding his staff high. He summoned a ball of energy and shot it at the evil witch, who screamed when it hit her. _

_"Leave, Morgana," Merlin said._

_The cat hissed and backed away. She looked at Father. "I'll be back, Uther Pendragon, and when I do, I shalt come for Camelot! But before I leave, I curse thee and thy son! Thou shalt have a disease that wilt slowly drain thy life! As for thy son, Arthur shalt have dark magic flowing through his body that will corrupt his mind!"_

_She shot magic at my father and I, and we screamed in pain. Morgan Le Fay laughed as she vanished in a puff of smoke._

_Merlin dropped his staff and ran over to us. My father looked at him._

_"I thank thee for saving us," he said._

_The wizard nodded, and looked at me. "How art thou feeling, Arthur?"_

_"How doest thou think I feel?" I yelled angrily. "My mother is dead, and all because of that damned witch! When she returns, I'll kill her."_

_"My son, revenge is not the answer," the king said._

_"I don't care!"_

_A dark aura surrounded me, but it quickly faded away. Merlin and Uther looked at each other before whispering._

_"What shalt be done about my son?" the blue hedgehog asked._

_"I shalt send him to the future so that Merlina will not find him, and his dark power shalt be sealed away. However, there will be a price. His memory shalt be wiped. He will no longer remember anything about his true identity, or us. However, I prophesy that he shalt return one day."_

_The king sighed. "Very well, Merlin. Do it."_

_Merlin nodded and cast a spell on me. I groaned and fell to the floor before my vision became black._

The memory ended, and I gasped in shock. I looked at Merlin, and knew he was dead. Angry tears ran down my face as I remembered everything. Morgan Le Fay was still laughing, and I looked at her in hate before standing up.

"Stop laughing," I said. "Stop laughing!"

She looked at me in shock before sneering. "What is the matter, dear prince? Did I touch a nerve?"

"You...you killed my mother. You killed my father...and you destroyed my home! I'll kill you, you bitch!"

A dark aura surrounded me and my blue fur turned pitch black. My quills turned upwards, and my eyes became pure white. Morgan Le Fay laughed.

"It looks like my curse has taken effect!" She exclaimed. "Excellent! Now, young Arthur, thou shalt serve me."

I said nothing as I drew Excalibur. The dark aura surrounded it as well, and I sneered.

"I will never serve you, witch," I said, my voice a low growl. "It's time I ended you."

And I lunged.


	26. Sooner Than Expected

Chapter 26: Sooner Than Expected

I had to kill her. The witch was trying to take everything from me. Laughter from behind as the sword hit the floor. I turned and slashed through air. Where was she? Couldn't have gone far... I was faster than her... There! She ran around the corner at the end of the hall. I followed, leaping at her and cutting through air again as her laughter echoed. Must be using some kind of Chaos Control... There was no other way she could avoid me like that. I nearly hit the wall turning the next corner, using the momentum to jump off it and leap down the hall. Again, the sword hit stone, slashing deep into the wall. Stupid useless slab of metal. She was getting away.

The sword was no use to me anyway. I left it in the stone and ran after the cat. An echoing boom sounded behind me as I pushed myself, slamming into the bitch at the top of a staircase. We fell down, landing hard on the stone at the bottom. I barely realized the growling was me as my hands wrapped around her throat. She grinned up at me and dissolved until I was on my knees in a puddle of water. Laughter echoed down the stone hall, mocking me... I got to my feet, ignored the pain from the fall, and started down the hall.

"What's wrong, can't catch me?"

She didn't deserve a response. Not after all she'd done. What she was still trying to do. I had to catch her.

The doors burst open around me as I burst into the front courtyard of the castle. My anger was replaced with shock as I looked around for Morgana. She was nowhere to be seen. Her undead army however, was on the horizon. Huge and close enough to be seen. How had she- We weren't- A kind of panic came over me and I ran back inside. This wasn't good.

"Percival!" I skid to a halt in front of the cat, managing to not run into her. "We have an emergency!"

"What is it, Majesty?"

"Morgan Le Fay's undead army. It's getting close to Camelot."

"What?" Percival's eyes widened.

She ran past me to the front doors and I followed. She stopped to stare out at the approaching army. I could barely hear her voice as she whispered.

"So soon? We haven't the time to..."

"Merlin has been killed," Gawain said. I turned toward him as he approached. His expression was one of concern. His gaze was plainly searching for the hydra; which was also nowhere to be seen. "Without the wizard's assistance-"

"We stand a chance if we fight hard enough," Percival cut him off. "We mustn't rely so heavily on otherworldly powers such as magic."

"Speaking of otherworldly powers. I thought she was searching for the Grail?"

I looked back toward the approaching undead as they spoke. Plans were never my strong point, but if I wanted to buy time to find something... Eggman had pulled the same move plenty of times.

"It must be a distraction," I said. "If Le Fay knows that we know she's searching for the Grail, it would make sense for her to send the fight to us. While we're defending what's left of Camelot,"

"She'll be free to continue her quest," Percival finished. "Thou may be right Majesty."

Maybe. If I was wrong, it would be bad for everyone. Even still, being right wasn't much better. I hate trying to come up with a plan.

"Someone needs to look for the Grail while the others defend Camelot. You're in charge here Percival. What do you say?"

"I do not like the thought of splitting our forces just before a battle." Percival looked back out toward the approaching army. "But she must not gain the power of the Grail."

If it was even what people expected it to be, but who was I to doubt it after everything I'd seen?

"I'll go look for the Grail," I said. "Lancelot will be coming with me." It would be found much faster that way, and I wouldn't be on my own.

"Nay, thou must stay here," Gawain said. 'Thou art our king. If something were to happen to you-"

"If something happens to me, Percival's taking my throne. It's an order as King." Neither of them looked like they liked the idea. "She's well suited for it, much more than I am."

"But Majesty, if thou wouldst simply stay here we wouldn't have a need to replace you."

And if I stayed here, I wouldn't get anything done. A king wasn't supposed to run out into the front lines, and they knew war tactics better than I could hope to.

"I need you guys here to keep her from taking what remains of Camelot. I won't be much use here and Lancelot can protect me. Do I need to pull rank on you?"

"We understand Sire." Percival bowed and looked at Gawain. "We have a battle to prepare for. Good luck, Your Majesty."

"Right back at ya."

I ran off to find Lancelot and tell him the plans. Still going to see the Lady of the Lake. Then finding the Grail. Before Morgana either found it or destroyed the rest of Camelot. Get back here, take my place as King, lay down some new laws, and live 'happily ever after' with Lancelot. I could adopt an heir.

Slamming right into Lancelot and knocking him flat on his back wasn't how I intended to find him. But it worked.

"I have been searching for thee" Lancelot said.

"Good; I've been looking for you too." I pushed myself up to look down at him. "We need to go see the Lady of the Lake so we can find the Grail. That undead army's coming to Camelot, so I'm leaving the knights here to defend the kingdom."

"A wise decision." Lancelot pushed himself up as well and I let myself fall into his lap. "What are we to do about the wizard?"

"Someone needs to bury him. I'll tell Percival to get that done while we're gone."

"I shall go prepare for our departure then."

"Good idea. We gotta leave ASAP."

I stood and stepped away from Lancelot, helping him up and giving him a smile. Percival should still be outside with Gawain. Delivering a quick message wouldn't take long. I had barely turned away to return to the knights when Lancelot spoke again.

"Sonic, thy sword."

"Right."

I turned again and took the sword from him. Refusing to think of how I'd lost it in the first place. There were more important things to worry about than my uncharacteristic, shameful behaviour.

"Meet me in the courtyard once you've got what we need," I told him. "See you in a few."

Once this was done, that'd be enough decision making for one day. Lancelot could handle talking to the Lady of the Lake and deciding what to do from there.


	27. Deep Woods

Chapter 27: Deep Woods

I walked out to the courtyard, looking around for Lancelot. He wasn't here yet, most likely still getting ready. I leaned against the stone wall and drew Excalibur, looking at it. The sword was magnificent, and I knew that I would be using it a lot. A few minutes later, Lancelot walked up to me.

"Sire, I'm ready to go," he told me. "Art thou ready?"

"Yeah," I said, sheathing Excalibur. "Shall we go?"

Lancelot nodded, and we walked out of the courtyard. Both of us looked around the village as we left the castle behind.

"Art thou okay, Sonic?" Lancelot asked, looking at me. "Thou look sad."

An angry expression came to my face. "Pissed off is more like it. Before Merlin died, he returned my lost memories to me. I remember everything about my childhood here, and what happened before I was sent forward in time."

"What happened?"

"Morgan Le Fay killed my mother, Aleena, and cursed my father to die early. She also cursed me to have some sort of Dark form."

"Dark form?" Lancelot asked, confused.

"I don't know what the hell it is. My fur turns black and I have more of a temperament in that form."

"That's odd. So, what doest thee have in mind?"

"We're going to see the Lady Of The Lake to find out where the Grail is. After we find it, we'll defeat Morgana and I'll become king."

"Thou hast decided to take the throne, then?" Lancelot asked me.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Thou shalt make a good King, Sonic."

Once we left the village, we came to a large field. The forest was not far ahead, and as we got closer, we saw that it was huge.

"Where does the Lady Of The Lake live anyway?" I asked Lancelot.

"She lives in there," the black hedgehog told me, motioning to the forest. "In the Deep Woods. I visit her often. Nimue is my adoptive mother."

"She is?"

"Yes. She found me as a child, and adopted me."

"That's pretty cool," I said, looking at Lancelot. "Do you know any magic?"

"I do," Lancelot said. "But I hardly use it. The magic I use is Chaos based."

"Like Chaos Control or Chaos Blast?"

"Something like that."

I grinned and walked into the forest. Lancelot followed me as I looked around in awe.

"Doest thee like what thou sees?" He asked me.

"Yeah. This forest is amazing."

Lancelot smiled. A few minutes later, however, he sensed something. The black hedgehog drew his sword, Arondight, and looked around.

"What is it, Lance?" I asked.

"Quiet! I hear something..."

I looked confused, but shrugged and drew Excalibur. A few minutes later, black mist surrounded us and formed shadowy knights. Lancelot frowned.

"Knights Of The Underworld," he snarled. "Morgana must know we're here. We have to hurry."

He started to run off, but I stopped him. "Aren't we going to fight them? They'll just follow us if we run."

Lancelot paused, looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. Finally, he nodded. "I suppose you're right. Let me handle this."

He turned to face the knights, and swung his arm. Multiple Chaos Spears flew from his hand towards the spectral knights, hitting some a few minutes later. The ones that were hit vanished into thin air. Lancelot was about to summon more spears but one knight appeared behind him. My eyes widened and I ran forward.

"Lancelot, watch out!"

The black hedgehog turned, but a sword went through his chest. Blood spattered across his white shirt, and he gasped in pain before falling to the ground. The rest of the knights vanished a few seconds later. I knelt down and picked him up.

"Lance!"

"T...take me...to..th...e...Lady," he stuttered before falling unconscious.

I nodded and ran off, an echoing boom sounding from behind me. I ran at top speed, heading towards where I hoped the Lady was. Eventually I came to a clearing with a large lake. A pink hedgehog stood not far from me, wearing a blue dress and holding a staff in her hand. She turned towards me.

"Art thou Arthur, son of King Uther Pendragon?" She asked.

"I am," I said.

The Lady Of The Lake walked up to me and grabbed Lancelot. She said a spell, running her hands along the wound. A few seconds later, it was fully healed. Lancelot groaned, and opened his eyes. She looked at him.

"Mother...?" He asked.

"Tis I, son," Nimue said, smiling.

Lancelot smiled back. He grimaced and stood, looking at his mother. "We need your help."


End file.
